Bunraku
by Nakitama-san
Summary: As a demon, Naruto's always been shunned...Being hokage is a dream to me...and having dreams proves I have some human in me, right? SasuNaruSasu, ItaNaru, Shounenaiyaoi discontinued
1. Of pranks and makeup

Sweet XD A story…from me Oo Yush. That's not sweet. That's sucky. Phear me!

Mooanyways, this is my first story I'm posting on the Net, so be gentle -.- I accept flames and constructive critiscm. Praise is even better winks Hint hint? Naw XD I'm just joking.

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Warning(s): Shounen-ai/Yaoi! SasuNaruSasu pairing And maybe there's going to be some stuff that's not really for a younger audience -.- Enjoy anyways!

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Disclaimer: Naruto and co. do not belong to me! They belong to Kishimoto-sama And if I did own them, I'd…I'll stop the rant right here, cause you know, it'd take more words then the story.

Bunraku: A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show.

**_Bunraku_**

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"Discomfort, endlessly has pulled itself upon me  
Distracting  
Reacting  
Against my will I stand beside my own reflection  
It's haunting how I can't seem   
To find myself again   
My walls are closing in."

-Linkin Park, Crawling.

The blonde grinned, discretely (or in his mind anyways) checking the back racks of the small convenience store. The _back _of all places. Also known as the make-up/shampoo/girly stuff aisle. Normally, he wouldn't even think of going into the dreaded section, even if every shinobi in the village was after him. So obviously, these were not normal circumstances. For the sake of his pranks, and the best day of the year coming up, he would brave the back aisle. The half demon nodded to himself, as if affirming his choice. All for the pranks.

His plan was brilliant, of course. It's what he thought of when he ate Ramen, or when he was training. But this was one of the best one's yet, since the Hokage monument incident. Maybe he'd get free ramen out of this too? He sure hoped so! An extra large bowl of Miso Ramen would do quite nicely…

Back to the task at hand. Naruto held up the small glass bottle to his cheek, frowning at himself in the mirror. Nope. It wasn't his color at all. To pale. How could chic's stand this stuff?!!? Putting it on day in and day out. Didn't it get annoying?!? All he had to do was brush his hair and teeth! Blue eyes squinted at the label. Fragrance free and hypo-allergenic? What the _hell _did that mean!?

He'd asked Tsunade-baba how she'd covered up all her warts ands things like that. She'd screeched and exclaimed that she _had _no warts to cover up. How could she, the prettiest woman in the land, have _warts _of all things?! Then she'd promptly thrown him out of the building, sniffing at the scandal of it all.

Then he'd asked Sakura. He'd made a new note to himself too: Never ask girls about make-up when there was more then one of them there when he asked. Ino had been with her, and they'd grinned at him (Naruto thought they had looked a bit freaky. Why would girls grin when he'd asked about make up?!?!) and then he'd ran out. It was all he could do! They had both produced puff balls (out of thin air), and started advancing on him. Even the blonde knew when to run and when to fight like a man. If he hadn't run then, he certainly wouldn't have _looked _like a man walking out of there.

Then Hinata was the next person (and he had hoped, last.) that he asked. All she did was look down and stutter. He couldn't make a word of what she said, so he'd just shrugged and said thanks. And ran off. Girls weren't a big help, at ALL. Hell, Sasuke probably knew more about make-up with his pretty skin! (1)

Girls.

So finally, he'd asked the lady at the counter. She was ALOT more helpful then all the other four put together! At first, she'd stared down at him (he was used to it, with the fox demon and all. He moped when he was alone, thank-you.), then she had pointed at the back aisle and told him to pick a color of cover up that matched his skin tone. Couldn't the other girls just have told him that in the first place!?

The boy sighed in frustration, picking up yet another bottle and holding it to his face. This was going to take a _long _time. What the hell was ivory? Was he ivory? And then there was peach…And tan. Ugh! He was going to make a face at himself before a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?"

He turned around, a sheepish grin set onto his face. The blonde rubbed the back of his head, eyes squinted into half moons.

"Eh, heh heh…Hey Shikamaru! I'm just uh…ah…getting girly stuff for Tsunade-himi!" Lying wasn't the most natural thing in the world, and neither was looking at make up, so he had to make use of one of the two options. Though, if Tsunade ever found out he'd used her as an excuse (Why would I get make-up?!?! I'm perfect the way I am!)….He'd be in shit up to his KNEES! He could just imagine her, brandishing her finger of doom (2) and leaving him in a twitching mass…

The black haired shinobi was looking at him dubiously, and he shifted uncomfortably. He _hated _it when people stared. It was so…so…_rude! _It wasn't as if staring at him were going to make him tell the truth. "Oh, I'm just getting make-up to put on my face to make me feel pretty! How do you like me now?" That would go _very _well.

Inwardly, Naruto grinned at the sheer genius of it. His prank! Dressing up as another person for April Fools' was the best idea he'd ever had!…Almost. He already had black hair dye, and green contacts, with some old clothes. Now he just needed this stuff to cover his whisker marks, and it proved to be the hardest thing to get yet! He hadn't wanted to use Henge no jutsu, or any other kind of jutsu. The stupid Sharingan had ruined _that _plan. But maybe Sakura-chan would have guessed that it was a jutsu. He'd never find out.

Then a thought occurred to him.

"What are _you _doing here Shikamaru?"

The black haired boy muttered something, before plucking two bottles off the counter and dropping one in Naruto's hand and running out of the shop (after paying of course). The blonde looked down at the bottle in his hand, before blinking.

It was his color too.

The blonde sighed, collapsing onto his bed and dropping the bags at the edge of his bed. He was _exhausted. _What had possessed him to train in the forest before he returned home!?! He'd done shopping, and he had bags with him! Lotsa bags. How could girls love shopping? All they did was carry heavy bags around and 'ooh' and 'aah' at things in the windows. They could spend their time training! Though carrying those bags were some sort of training, he guessed….

He smiled at the ceiling, though the smile never reached his eyes. 93. That's how many cold stares, children ushered out of the way, and refused service he'd gotten today. Though only 2 places had refused to provide assistance for him…It was more then usual. He'd thought he'd found all the joints in Konaha that refused service to demons such as himself.

The blue-eyed teen pulled at his hair in frustration, now realizing how long it was getting. He had to cut it everyday, for kami's sake! (3) Maybe it was something to do with the Kyuubi? The blonde had gotten really good at cutting hair, enough so he could do it on his way out, or before he went to bed. He'd been doing it for years, after all.

The young boy though about all the years he'd been able to remember. He always did, every single night right before he fell asleep. He went over the days (and nights) in which he could have changed something to make his life, or those he cared about, better.

Not living was good.

That wasn't an option though. He had to become Hokage. A small smile found it's way onto his face, eyes wandering over the cracks in the ceiling. Nobody knew the reason he clung so desperately to that dream. Anybody who knew he housed the Kyuubi had told him, even subtly, that he had no chance because it's what he was. A demon. The villagers didn't want a demon for their hokage. How well could a fox protect them? The idiot boy would probably let the demon loose and kill them all!

Dreams proved he was human.

It was that simple. If he had dreams, he was human. Sometimes he thought that was the only thing that proved him to be human…He didn't feel hurt, or sad, or very angry at times, even when he should (the blonde guessed he had built an immunity to insults. They didn't even faze him anymore.) So he clung to dreams.

He yawned, dropping his hands over his eyes. He was really tired…The Kyuubi holder smiled sleepily at the ceiling, eyes drifting close.

Dream Sequence

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"Hello?" The young boy pushed aside the drapes, only to find that it was just heavy mist.

"Where am I?" He wondered aloud, blue eyes taking in all his surroundings. It was almost completely black, save for the pure white mist curling around his ankles as he walked. There was nothing anywhere…Where was everybody? Were they missing or was it just him missing? The shinobi blinked a few times, before realization dawned in his eyes when he saw the gates with the seal on them, and the bright red eyes glowing at him from the other side of the gates.

"Either I'm dreaming, or I'm dying." 'Either would be fine.' The first was said out loud, the second a wayward thought, but the beast on the other side of the gates chuckled.

"Wouldn't you rather just be sleeping? And you are. I can hear your thoughts, Naruto. We share more then just your body." The last comment was said almost thoughtfully, though red eyes strayed from blue.

"Yeah, so I guess I'm just dreaming…Might as well make myself comfortable, right?" The blond sat down, now only feeling the warm breath flowing throughout the 'room'. Surprisingly enough, it was comfortable on the ground, even more so then his bed. This surprised the hyperactive ninja greatly, and he let it show on his face.

"In your dreams, it reflects you and your personality, Koukou." (4) The blonde made a face at the gates, causing a warm breath of air to wash over him in what was like a low laugh. He took in his surrounding again, his brows knitted together.

"Why…"

"You're personality is dark, very unlike your mask, Koukou. You're worse then that…Sasuke, is it?"

"So? I should be happier then this…" He shrugged, letting go of the topic. He guessed it was logical, him being shunned for a long time. He never thought it would be this bad though. Again, the blonde boy took in his surroundings, though he paid them no mind. He was thinking of other things, just letting his mind wander…

"Koukou, You have to wake soon."

"So?" This, the smaller boy said grumpily, crossing his arms. He didn't want to wake up, not just yet. Even though it was the Kyuubi, he enjoyed just sitting here, not being judged or to have to put on his mask. Even if he did, he couldn't hide it anyways. Maybe…

"Eh! Kyuubi!" Even though the question he was about to ask was serious, his voice conveyed nothing, nor did his expression. Down to an art.

"Hm?" Red eyes turned to him from examining something far off in the distance, or so it seemed.

"Ah…" He was hesitant to ask what he was going to. What did he expect? A reassuring pat on the back? Right. This was the Kyuubi he was talking about, the demon who had almost destroyed all of Konaha. After he'd found out about that incident, he'd researched it. The Kyuubi was not one to give pity.

"Would you have…uh…Liked anybody else as a vessel? Blue eyes suddenly found the ground very interesting, though there was nothing but black under his feet. He couldn't even see his feet…

"No. No I wouldn't have." Blue eyes jerked up in surprise, only to see the head to bob and the eyes to squint in what would have been a amused expression.

"Wha-"

"Time to wake up, Naruto."

Groggy blue eyes stared at the cracks in the ceiling, shifting to look around the room before he noticed his viewpoint. That must have been why he was so uncomfortable…

The boy hoisted himself off the floor, stretching with his arms above his head. He yawned, working the kinks out of his body and grimacing. Sleeping on the floor was not really a good thing to do.

A quick look at the calendar cheered the boy right up though, and he whooped before rushing to the bathroom. It was April fools day! Time to put his plan into action! He grinned at himself in the mirror before he spit what remained after brushing his teeth. A quick rinse and he ran out of the bathroom, grabbing all his supplies before plopping in front of the mirror. Today was going to be a great day.

He could feel it.

(1)- Heh. XD He doesn't even realize he just called Sasuke pretty. What an idiot. I lurv him though XD

(2)- In the manga (not sure which chapter -.-) when Naruto met Tsunade, they got into a fight and she beat him with one finger -.- So yush XD I found that funny. 

(3)- I believe that Naruto's hair'll grow very long, cause of the Kyuubi -.- Something along the lines of the hair he has when he's in Sexy No Jutsu when he hasn't cut it for a couple weeks Oo I know I'm weird -.-

(4)- Koukou means 'Young and inexperienced one'. I just though it would be something the Kyuubi would call Naru XD

There! Done the first chapter, and just the intro -.- Yay. I have a lot more t do, if people want me to continue that is -.- A'ell. I actually like the plotline for this story Can't wait till I finish. 

Anybody wondering why the Kyuubi's so nice? Kukuku XD That's for me to know and you to find out -------

Leave a review/flame/constructive critiscm after the beep: Beeeeeeeeeeeeep.

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	2. Of letdowns and leaving

W00t! A story update. From me. I'm proud of myself XD Boo yah! Yush, I am too proud for something as trivial as this -.- Damn I feel amature-ish now Oo Gah! I'm so happy though --------- All the praise I got for my first story too XD Thankies peoples!

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Dedicated too: Watermelon-gal, Ookima, Rima, Ayako, Ish-chan, Souvraya, Kyuubi-chan, Kisu, Jenniyah, Katana-kun, Weaver and Jae XD Thanks guys! You gave me my first couple reviews!

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Warning(s): Shounen-ai/Yaoi! SasuNaruSasu pairing And maybe there's going to be some stuff that's not really for a younger audience -.- Enjoy anyways!

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Disclaimer: Naruto and co. do not belong to me! They belong to Kishimoto-sama And if I did own them, I'd…I'll stop the rant right here, cause you know, it'd take more words then the story.

Bunraku: A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show

**_Bunraku_**

I'm losing my mind and I know there's no remedy  
I've become a failure who's living on memories  
I've been working so hard  
Loneliness can't be cured with no medicine  
Look to the stars so they'll straighten my head again  
I've been working so hard

-Underneath the Gun, Limp Bizkit.

Green eyes squinted in the mirror, not used to the feeling of contacts at all. Man…These things would take getting used too! The now black-haired boy felt like he'd been staring into a furnace without blinking for a couple hours. Hopefully, he would be able to not tear them out of his eyes and crush them. He'd paid valuable zenny for these!

Thoughtfully, he tugged at the shaggy mane of hair he now had. The dye was only temporary, thankfully. It left his hair feeling all…silky and shiny-like. Not at all like the knotted blonde mess he walked out of the with everyday. He wasn't really used to the green eyes either, or not seeing whisker marks. It had taken a _long _time for it to not look like he had just smeared skin-colored cake on his face. The stuff was horrible! And it smelled too! Subconsciously, the boy made a note to never insult a girl again. _Especially _if they wore make-up.

The teen scowled at the clock, the red '12:00' blinking at him as if mocking him. He really needed to set the thing again. It had been how many weeks since the power-out? He scanned the room, noting with a frown that it needed a tidy-up. Funny how you never noticed these things until you were in a hurry. Again, the boy sighed before kneeling down in a pile of nearby clothes. How come he'd never noticed how many clothes he'd had before?! All he usually donned was his orange jumpsuit and he was ready to go! Argh…Pajama's, training clothes, and a jacket was all he thought he needed. Why did he have so many clothes then!? Where had they come from?!

After much inner ranting and raving (and some outer), he'd finally stepped out of his room, fully dressed and rubbing his sore foot. Note to self: Don't kick things that don't move. Like the wall, for instance.

After all the trouble he'd gone through, he'd picked a relatively simple outfit. Black muscle shirt that cling a bit to much (it was why he wore the jumpsuit! It was comfy and none concealing! Six-pack did not work with his childish image!), cargo pants (held up with a belt because they were to big. Who bought pants to big for themselves?), and a string tied around his neck. Really simple, so nobody would guess it was him! Besides, since when was Konoha's number one hyperactive ninja? An orange jumpsuit was not expected attire for a ninja, of all things, after all.

The shinobi yawned loudly, stretching his arms above his head and making a face when his shirt rode up. He hated shirt. Jumpsuits and overly large T-shirts were fine with him. Everybody should wear them! They were comfortable, not really stylish, and definitely not convenient, but comfy anyways! He grumbled and scratched the back of his head, heading to the door and tugging on his boots.

A wide grin spread across the boys face as he locked the door behind him, a new bounce in his step. Today was going to be great! He could fool everyone and then reveal who he was at the end of the day! The blonde grinned behind his hand, laughing as he ran down the stairs.

As soon as he burst out the door, Naruto immediately noticed something. Nobody stared. Absolutely no one…The black-haired child blinked in surprised confusion, head whipping around trying to catch any snuck glares or rude stares…Why wasn't anyone staring? The old women who sat in the chair in the balcony above the entrance wasn't sniffing in indignation at his behavior, the flower vendor across the street wasn't throwing a glare at him, and neither was his daughter.

In fact…She was walking towards him now. Immediately, he tensed, ready for some sort of verbal assault, or attack, or whatever. He certainly didn't expect a _flower _to be shoved in his face!

"Excuse me…You're new around here. What's your name? And welcome to Konoha! I hope you enjoy it here!" He'd known this girl since she was as small as he was, and this was the first time she'd said more then 4 words to him… Green eyes blinked when he realized why. He wasn't Naruto anymore. He was…someone. Someone who didn't have a name.

"Oh! Thank-you very much! I am new. Heh, I'm sure I'll enjoy it here in Konoha!" The boy grinned, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "Thanks again and I'll see you somewhere later!" Naruto ran off, before darting into the nearest alley…She'd never been like that to him…Never. It was like she was a completely different person. He'd always known her to be a rude and overbearing girl, really. She'd never seemed so nice! Then again, this boy he was pretending to be wasn't a demon, was he?

What was his name anyways? His face screwed up in concentration. Uh…what were those things called? Well, he didn't know. It was something where you used the first letters of words to make a new one…Whatever. He didn't care, but he needed a name!

Ok…Let's see…Sasuke, Sakura, Iruka, himself…Were the most important people to him. So he might as well use their names, right? So…S for Sasuke, but what about Sakura? He couldn't have two S's in a row…Hm…Haruno! H for Haruno! Then I for Iruka, and N for himself. What did that spell anyways? Uh…Shin! Cool! His name would be Shin! (1)

The boy grinned brightly to himself, walking out of the alley before quickly making up a last name for himself, just in case anybody asked. Really, it wasn't a common thing to go around without a last name, was it? That brought his wandering mind to another issue, concerning his own last name… Where had he gotten his last name anyways? Uzumaki…He'd never met anyone with that family name…Was it his father's last name…?

He shook his head, before plastering a smile on his face and walking forward, hands behind his head. He could dwell on that later. He'd never really though about it, so he could think about it later, right? He had pranks to pull and people to prank! He could not waste his time over something as useless as mulling!

So with renewed vigor, Naruto set off too down town Konoha. Luckily, he didn't have to go far.

His first three victims.

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata were walking down the street, heads bent close together and giggling (though Hinata did this with a small, breathless giggle, opposed to the girls very high pitched ones). They all had bags on the arms that weren't near each other, and all had different hairstyles and make-up on. Gah! Sleepover, then shopping?! How could girls do those things! They were so troublesome. Going over to spend the night at someone's house just to have your hair tugged and pulled at? He liked being a boy, thanks.

While he was ranting to himself, he hadn't noticed the three very same girls he'd been thinking about walk out to him. Nor did he see the wide eyes and gaping mouths. He only noticed when the shriek erupted from the blonde's mouth.

"You are so cute! Isn't he like the adorable version of Sasuke-kun Sakura, Hinata?!"

Wide green eyes looked at both of them in almost-horror, as the pink-haired shinobi nodded in affirmation, while the black-haired girl just blushed and nodded, hanging in the background.

"I think he might look a little like Naruto-kun…"The Hyuuga girl was looking down at her feet, shuffling, her cheeks turning pinker by the second.

"Ew! No! Naruto's so…so…"

"Not cute?" These were the words supplied to the blonde by Sakura, her green eyes still looking the boy up and down.

"Exactly! He's so annoying too! He's just-"

"What exactly is wrong with this Naruto guy?" His mask was perfect, if he did say so himself. These girls were talking about him to his face, and he didn't even -outwardly- flinch. He cocked his head to the side, green eyes showing interest but otherwise impassive.

"Cause he's annoying! He's always vying for attention and he's always bugging _our _Sasuke-kun!"

"Is that the only reason you don't like him?" He squinted in confusion. Is that the reason the kids hated him? Cause he was annoying? Only the adults knew about the Kyuubi…"It sounds like a bad reason. Is that what started you hating him?"

"Er…Well…" Sakura and Ino looked at each other, lips pursed.

"Truth is, we've just hated him ever since we could remember. Nobody really likes him. The only people that do are Konohamaru and Iruka. Sasuke-kun never said anything…" They looked at each other for a moment, before shrugging. Ino brightened up immediately.

"Enough about that idiot! Are you new in tow-"

"Excuse me girls…I have to go…meet someone." The blonde was abruptly cut off as Naruto bolted, diving into the nearest alley breathing heavily. He felt like puking…So Sakura hated him too? He'd always thought the girl only called him 'annoying' and 'idiot' affectionately…He'd never thought she'd _meant _it. Apparently she did.

People glanced as the black-haired boy bounced out of the alley, a grin on his face. He looked slightly rumpled, but nothing else was wrong. What could a boy be doing in an alley? On closer inspection, they could see slightly red eyes, as if they'd be rubbed to much. They shrugged, going back to their own activities. They couldn't be bothered with a mere boys problems.

Naruto grinned and practically sprinted toward the school, now fully composed. It had hurt, hell yes! Hearing one of your few friends cutting you down wasn't something that tickled. He'd been dealing with it all his life though, so he could hardly be mad at Sakura-chan! She was just like all the other villagers. The ones that hated him, remember? He couldn't prank her or the other two. He could barely look them in the face probably!

So off to the school to 'ask' Iruka about possibly enrolling into the school. Maybe sabotaging a few things while he was at it…Pranks that had long term effects were very, very cool If you asked him.

He entered the school quietly, making sure not to get caught by any of the other sensei's. He was only here to see Iruka anyways. If he saw Ebisu, though, he'd be sure to whip up a quick Harem No Jutsu. He snickered quietly at the idea, still thinking about the last time he'd performed his unique skill on the unsuspecting soul…Keh keh keh.

Realizing just now he'd arrived at his favorite teachers door, 'Shin' raised his hand to knock, stopping in mid air as he heard voices on the other side. Might as well eavesdrop, right? Heh, maybe he was listening in on some kind of top secret Jutsu-revealing skill! Maybe he could beat Sasuke! (He already had, a million times, but he could beat him again!)

"Nn…Ah! I have to go meet…Naruto!" That was definitely Iruka. And he'd had a meeting with his old sensei? Oops…He hadn't known that! Since when…Oh yeah. Iruka had said that he and Naruto would meet at Icharuka later for some Ramen…What was more important?!!? Gah! Ramen or Pranks?! Ramen or pranks…

The young teens inner turmoil was interrupted when he heard another voice…A familiar but indistinguishable voice…Who the heck was that?!

"Hm…Brat can wait, can't he?" The voice chuckled, sounding deeply amused. How dare the man call him a brat! He would go in there and kick his ass!

"Nngh…Not a brat…" Go Iruka-sensei! You tell that bastard!…Why did he sound so breathless? Had he just run a mile or something? He sounded _really _needy for air. Not just needy, _REALLY _needy.

"Be fashionably late! Nobody ever said that was a sin, did they?" The man sounded indignant, like he didn't want Iruka to leave. He had a responsibility to meet Naruto! He had to upkeep it! Never mind the fact that he wouldn't be there, considering he'd finally decided (albeit grudgingly) that pranks were more important…for today.

"Nngh…Please-" The name of the person was muffled, as if someone had just placed a cloth over Iruka's mouth, "-I have to go meet Naruto!"

"You never have time for anything else besides him! Doesn't the brat get tiresome?" The voice inquired this, though holding a complaining tone to it.

"Nn…" A gasp," Yes! No! Maybe!"

That was all the blonde needed to hear before he dashed to the side of the school. He wanted to puke, he wanted to be sick, he wanted to _cry._

Maybe he would. Maybe he should just leave.

Maybe, if he had stayed, he would have heard Iruka claim he was an equivalent of a brother. Maybe, if he'd stayed, he would have heard the mysterious man agree, and heard the warm smile in his voice. Maybe, if he'd stayed, he would have heard Iruka scrambling around to get his things, in a rush to meet the blonde boy.

But he hadn't stayed. And he never regretted it.

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Naruto's stomach growled dangerously as he neared his favorite ramen stand, though he paid no heed to it. Who could eat when they felt like everything they had worked so hard to gain was in shambles? Naruto could, slowly, feel his resolve breaking, the glass shards gaining spider web cracks in them.

He was no longer strong.

But he'd done the same thing all his life, right? He could stand up to this! He was the great Uzumaki Naruto, the one-day soon to be hokage! He could stand up to any emotional problems, anytime, anywhere!

Even if they _hurt. _

So what if Sakura hated him? So what if Iruka found him to be not worth the effort? He still had Sasuke!

…That sounded pathetic, even to his own ears.

And speak of the devil, there were three of his _favorite _people in the entire whole world! Standing in the middle of the marketplace, chatting it up!…Ok, So Ino and Sakura were chatting it up while Sasuke stood there and looked bored. Sasuke never was a chatty person after all. More like a Don't-talk-to-me-or-you'll-meet-my-'have-to-kill-the-man-who-betrayed-me'-face. What a bitch that boy could be.

And speaking of which, here came his other favorite person, skidding to a stop in front of the other three! Oh Joy! What the hell had he done to deserve _this_!?!?

Naruto decided to shift closer, hiding behind a cart of apples much to the owners chagrin. He'd forgotten that he was 'disguised' oh-so perfectly, though, he supposed, it was for the better because his make-up was coming off. You could just make out the whisker marks, and if anybody saw him that would _not _be a good thing.

The half-demon listened carefully, hearing the snatches of conversation. Green eyes were focused intently on the face of each speaker. How come he could hear better now?

"Have any of you seen Naruto, by the way?" That was Iruka…Except he didn't particularly _hear _these words being said. He could just…feel them. The blonde shrugged it off, way too absorbed in the conversation to notice.

"No, Iruka-sensei, we haven't. Maybe you should check his place? He might have slept in!" Sakura's sweetly sugared voice, as if she would be appalled at the very though of ever speaking behind Naruto's back.

"Oh…Thank-you Sakura. I'll see you kids' later then!" And with a wave, Iruka jogged off, his destination very obviously in the direction of Naruto's apartment.

"As if anybody would care if that idiot disappeared, ne, Sasuke-kun?" Ah, Ino was eloquent and polite as always. But this wasn't what he was focused on. He was listening for Sasuke's answer.

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The blonde burst into his apartment, breathe ragged and erratic and eyes wide with pain. He wanted to scream and tear his hair out and wreck everything in sight. Everything could be torn like his heart was, everything shattered like his will was.

But everything gave the illusion of calm happiness, like his mask did.

But his mask was broken now, so the house should be too, right?

So he tore, and shattered, and broke the illusion. And once he was done, he sat in the middle of it, chest heaving and face eerily calm. He never did cry once, not even over Sasuke's answer.

And Sasuke's answer had been no answer at all.

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'Is this what running away feels like?' This was the thought that entered the blonde boys mind. Wasn't it supposed to be hard? Wasn't he supposed to have tears streaming down his face as he sobbed, only to gain true happiness when someone came looking for him, proclaiming their love?

That was the way it happened in the movies anyways. But sadly, or not so sadly, it wasn't happening that way in Naruto's life. Nu uh, not the fox demon! Nothing good could happen to _it _of all things!

But Naruto was humming. He felt good, though he didn't know why. He felt free, more so then he'd felt before. On the road, or being killed on the road, held no expectations or prejudices of who he was and who he was going to be. He could deal with no expectations. It was so different from what he'd been doing all his life!

He stopped in front of the Uchiha mansion, baby blue eyes seeking out the window which he knew was the only one occupied in the entire 'house'. This brought back rather unfond memories, ones he did not want to sully with the afternoons events.

Man had this April Fools sucked.

The Kyuubi had agreed whole-heartedly on the matter, saying that he needed a change of environment, wasn't Konoha getting boring after all the years of living there? He had even offered to help Naruto kill the gate guard if they wouldn't let them pass. There had been no need to take those drastic actions, Naruto saw, when he heard the snoring of the guard protecting this particular area.

Idiot! He'd never had done that if he had taken a shine to that job! But he wanted to be hokage, and that was damn near impossible with what he was about to do. So he smiled and walked out of the gates, leaving his old life and not once looking back.

The new Naruto Uzumaki did not look back, after all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yay! Done! And this chappie was more angst then funny Gah, I love angst though ;; I like fluffiness even more! XD Kukukuku.

And now for the review replies!

**Weaver**: Thankies for reading! XD I'm blushing O.O I love complements and you just gave a real good one XD Thanks and hope you liked this chapter as much as the last!

**Katana-kun: ** Yush! Thanks XD I was aiming for somewhat interesting but, interesting better! And in the beginning, the ItaNaru relationship is going to be evil, but it will turn nice XD For such a short relationship anyways. Thanks!

**Jenniyah: **Kukuku XD ItaNaru is very good, isn't it? And now you know what he did with that make-up Though it turned out to be a crappy April Fools day, didn't it? Thanks for reading!

**Kisu: **Woooow . One of my favorite reviews so far. Thanks =-= And there is going to be no ItaSasu Just the normal Sasuke wanting to kill Itachi and stuff Thanks for reading XD

**Kyuubi-chan: **Maybe Koukou's person did XD Maybe he didn't. It will be revealed in the last chappie! Muhahahaha -cough- Blargh, had something in my throat for a sec there. Thanks for reading -----

**Kreyana: **Already? Wai I'm really touched! Gah, somebody loves my story ;; That's more then I ask for XD Thank you so much! hands a Sasu plushie Just cause XD One of my fav's. Thanks!

**Tracy-kin: **Ha XD -is imagining the possibilities- XD Kukuku, Itachi and Girly! Naru. Now that could be awesome XD And the Kyuubi being nice IS new, as far as I know ---;;; But it's not all that it cracks up to be XD That's all I say. And Naru is such a silly, silly boy. He doesn't even realize falling for Sasuke is Kishimoto-sama's master plan!…Right. And I ownz the universe. -.-;;; Thankies for reading XD

**Iceheart19: **Thankies I love being…writing interesting things XD I did not update soon, but I swear I will update sooner!…Or later. Whichever comes first. -.- Thanks for reading thus far!

**Alicia McClellan: **I will never get the hang of spelling that -.- I find Tsunade's finger awesome XD How she can poke a nearly fatal wound. Mwahaha. And Shika has a secret (That I don't even know -shifty eyes- ), so maybe we'll find out later XD And gomen for this chapter not being as funny as the last Thanks for reading XD

**KizuPl: **Thankies I find it unnaturally horrible how I do this to poor Naru, but what can cha do? XD And I doubt I updated soon ;; Procrastination had me doing other things

**_IMPORTANT:_** To all my Aff.Net reviewers, Gomen for not replying to you guys! You rock! But since Aff.Net's down, I'll make sure to reply in the next chappie, k? Gomen gomen gomen! I do not deserve your wonderful reviews -.-

Anybody notice how I tend to repeat things? XD Whee, Don't I rock? -.- Sarcastic-ness rules all. And if anybodies wondering, these are my reviews from both Ff.net and AdultF.net I will never get this many reviews on one thing So…Yeah.

****

Push the button. The button wants to be pushed. You know you waaaaaaaaant it!


	3. Of Anger and Returning

**

* * *

Author's Notes:** It seemed I forgot to put the explanations for the numbers in the last chapter XD Meh heh heh...Yeah! Go me! I updated after a very long time....Gah 0.0 I'm not proud of myself anymore -.- But whatever I was gone for a week! That's a valid excuse! Working for the damn Liberals -.- I got 200$ out of it, though, so I'm good XD I tell you, you never know how rude people are until you've been hung up on more then a couple 100 times -.- So...yeah XD 

Here's one I seemed to have forgot.

[1] - Shin means Divine, and though it's beginning is alike a Shinigami, it's not the name's meaning. A "Shinigami" is an "Angel of Death" (roughly translated). Animals seem to be Shinigamis as well in some occasions. XD (For those of you who would like to watch an Anime that focuses on said Shinigamis, Yami no Matsuei (Descendents of Darkness) is highly recommended.)

Er...I guess that was the only one O.o If I missed one, please enlighten me XD

Dedicated too: kashisenshey, The Original Dirty angel (Jae XD), Ookima, Muchacha, Kutsu, Iceheart19, Bealmira, ghostninja85, Random Reader, Zayni, Anonymous Reviewer (I wish you'd put chur name XD;;;), kiowen, lalala, weaver, Rina, rima, Shez, ochiba, Yueh Kitsune, Sasutolover, Lauren, and Twilight Rose! XD You guys are awesome! That was alotta peoples O.O

ESPECIALLY dedicated too: Ali, Tia, Katana-kun!, KizuPL, Kreyana, Jes, Ayako, Alicia McClellan and Kyuubi-chan! You guys all stood out, and you're my favorites XD!

**Warning(s):** Shounen-ai, angst, and all around good stuff XD I'll try not be too descriptive, but I'm not making promises . XD So Yeah.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, the only thing I own is Shin and this story XD Yay me! I own a story, a character, and two cents! Don't I rock? Kishimoto Masashi (I always have difficulty spelling that -.-) owns them, and if I owned them, they'd be doing lewd things to each other. Enough? I think so.

**Bunraku:** A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show.

**_Bunraku _**

_The world is a drought when out of love  
  
Please come back to us  
  
You're all of the above  
  
I'm making a choice to be out of touch  
  
Leave me be he said  
  
Leave me here in my stark raving sick sad little world..._

-Sick, sad little world, Incubus.

* * *

**Dai 3-ka: Of Anger and Returning.**

* * *

Where the hell were Kakashi and Naruto? Kakashi was 4 hours late, which was two hours later then normal, and Naruto was three and a half hours late. Usually the blonde moron was just half an hour late, due to some idiotic mistake on his part. Maybe he'd slept in? Or maybe the blue-eyed teen had been caught and taken to some evil ninja's lair... 

Generally, the young prodigy was a paranoid child, due to the fact he lived in a mansion all alone, and that he was a shinobi. Of course shinobi were paranoid. It was their job to be paranoid, for Kami-sama's sake.

So now Sasuke was crabby, even more then he naturally was. All he had for company was the pink-haired team mate of his, and she was terrible at fighting, it seemed. It was obvious that she would be no good in real missions, so she could just be a medical nurse. Even the black-haired boy admits that she had fairly good chakra control, and good chakra control usually resulted in good healing abilities. He concentrated more on offense then defense though...

The brooding teen was startled out of his silent reverie when a swirl of smoke appeared, revealing a very... somber looking Kakashi? What the hell? Now he was pissed, though he raved to himself inwardly, settling for narrowed eyes at his sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're even later then normal," The green-eyed girl stressed the word normal, her tone disbelieving, saying everything Sasuke couldn't say. "And you better not have some lame excuse! Because I will be soooo-"

"Kakashi, where's Naruto?" The Uchiha cut in the middle of the others rant, who immediately fell silent when hearing the 'love of her life' speak. Though, it was rather odd that the blonde ninja showed up later then their forgetful teacher, wasn't it? The hyperactive boy had too much energy to be skipping training like he was!

A chillingly emotionless eye watched the two of them, the somber atmosphere finally weighing down on the two young one's shoulders. "I think...That would be something Tsunade-hime would have to tell you."

XXXXXXXXXXXX-At Tsunade's office-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What I am about to tell you may be very serious, Mr.Uchiha, Ms.Haruno." She eyed them blandly, though her red eyes gave something away, something that they probably would not be glad to hear. She leaned her forehead on her intertwined fingers, sighing. They both nodded, though she more then likely couldn't see.

"How much would either of you know about a certain Naruto Uzumaki?" And this was not be the question they expected, something pulled out of nowhere. What about Naruto? He couldn't be dead, could he? No, it would be all over if he had died or been killed...And somehow, neither could imagine a still Naruto, the life gone out of his eyes...

"Uh...He loves Ramen?" The pink haired girl offered this explanation quietly, meekly. "He's energetic, he's an orphan, he was last in the tests..." She counted them off on her fingers, being confident with her second point, but quickly losing that when she came to the third. Four fingers in all.

And as they thought more of the question, Kakashi standing silently behind them, they came to a startling revelation. That was all they knew about their teammate. How could they know so little about their teammate? The one they spent at least 5 hours a day with, working, playing, laughing with. Someone they could count on to watch their backs...And neither could say they really watched his, assuming that he was hyper enough to watch both at the same time, and watch himself equally as well.

Sakura searched her mind, bringing everything she knew about Naruto to the surface. And inwardly, she cringed. She knew almost next to nothing about Naruto the person. She knew everything about Sasuke! His birthday, his height, the curse, his ambition, the hours he trained alone, his middle name, even his shoe size![1] And then Naruto...She knew...His favorite color. Orange. The one thing she hadn't listed.

Sasuke was having a worst time off. All he knew were the moves Naruto specialized in, and all the things Sakura listed. How alike he was to Naruto, who felt a loneliness similar to his, and he didn't know anything about him...Not his agenda, his dreams (beside the one of being Hokage), or anything else. And somehow, this left Sasuke feeling hallow. A few days ago, he'd dubbed Naruto as his best friend, and Naruto had taken him out to his favorite restaurant...

"That's what I thought." The way Tsunade sounded; it was as if she'd won a prize, one she didn't want. And then she started speaking, with a grim determination, as if she were embarking on a journey that many had failed before.

"His greatest strength is his stamina and his latent abilities." She started, keeping her eyes glued to the too faces, one shaking and one with flinching. "He was born October 10th, and he's 13. [2] His sign is Libra, and he's 4'9" His blood type is B, and his favorite restaurant is Ichiraku, where Miso ramen and Oshiruko, which are his favorite foods, can be found."  
  
She paused to take in a breath, maybe even hating herself for the stricken expressions and wide eyes. "He absolutely hates raw vegetables. He mastered the Rasengan, which was taught to him by Jiraiya, in less then a month when it took the Third multiple years. I've known Naruto for a quarter time that you have, and he's like a brother too me."

She smiled at them, a satisfaction that she had rallied that info to them, while they sat there stunned after the first too. Her voice had been rising in desperation until the end, where he voice would have cracked if she had continued. But it was all she had to say. All she needed to say.

"The reason I said that is because I..." She hesitated, averting her eyes from probing black and startled green. "Naruto considered you his first family, you know? The first that loved him. But now..." She bit her lip, looking down. "He's a...he's missing..." She trailed off, and looked up, eyes lifeless, because it was another one gone, and he hadn't even left the necklace.

"You mean...Just gone?" Sakura had tears streaming down her cheeks now, eyes wide and breaking, because she remembered what she had said earlier. Why had she said those things...Naruto was her friend...

The fragile girl was crying freely now, not bothering to stop the twin trails on her cheeks. And Kakashi helped her out of the room, leaving the other too alone in the room. Something Sasuke couldn't handle, something he was not used to, so he was on auto pilot. Nothing could faze him now, because he was numb.

"When?" The words were being forced past his lips, something he didn't control and strangely, felt no hysteria.

"Last night."

"Signs of struggle?"

"No. Everything broken was caused by himself."

"Last seen." They weren't even questions anymore.

"Flower vendor across the street. He saw a distraught Naruto tearing his way to his apartment."

Sasuke got up, hands deep in his pockets and face void of any emotion. He started walking away, stopping at the door when Tsunade's voice, desperate and broken. He looked down, eyes shadowed as he listened, with a detached care.

"Sasuke, I know this is probably hard on you with him being your friend and all..."

She was cut off when Sasuke turned around, a chillingly tight smile on his face, the sharingan wheels rapidly spinning. She could see the hinting of the curse mark starting. No matter how composed he looked...

"What friend?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX-2 Years Later-XXXXXXXXXXXX

The boy stared up at the gates, noting that there seemed to be an end, but he had to crane his neck all the way back to see. How the hell was he supposed to get in? Knock? As if anybody could hear him anyways! The gate was way to big anyways, so it would probably barely make a sound.

Just then, the gate was opened, and in a flash, two people appeared in front of him. He smiled, albeit quietly, at the two. Problem solved at least, right?

One was a girl, though they both had masks on. She had black hair, and quite a slim and small build. She was even shorter then him! But, of course, size didn't mean power, right? She was staring at him, though he couldn't see it. He could just...Feel it.

The man was even more silent and stony then the women! He stood there, arms crossed. You could barely tell anything about him. He had a hood on to keep his hair hidden, and he was tall. Not fat though. Just...normal. 'Big-boned' you could say. But he too, was probably strong. Would they place weaklings at the gate to one such village?

"Name, age, village you're from," Which was strange, since this boy did not sport a headband anywhere on his body, and it was _required_ that they knew what village the visitor came from, "and state your business." The women had a feminine, if not firm voice. She wasn't hostile, but not quite friendly either. Figures. Who would be nice to someone that may or may not kill you?

"Er...Shin Nakitama [3], age 15, and I just came to the nearest village, the one the old women told me was here. And...I don't even remember my village," The boy rubbed his head sheepishly, eyes squinted in apology, "You see, I forgot everything up until a week or so ago. Will this be a really big problem?" He was looking at them through lowered eyelashes, pink tinge on his face and voice coming out a soft tone, which completely surprised both of the guards, though they obviously didn't let it show.

This boy would have to see the Hokage.

It wasn't normal for someone to not have an origin of any kind, much less not remember one! There had been attempts like this, on the Hokage's life, after all.

"How do you remember your name?" Ah, finally, the man spoke. His voice was similar to the boys, soft but strong, and deep. Honestly, the man sounded as if he were speaking down a tunnel.

"Er...I have this kind of...will or something. Like a video will." The boy looked beyond embarrassed now, finding the ground rather interesting.

"Empty your bag." A single order, though hard in command, held a touch of sympathy. Even if the story was probably unlikely, she believed him. Something in his eyes and manner, maybe?

The contents of the bag that had been over his shoulder were dumped on the ground for the two shinobi to investigate. Their search turned up nothing special. A doll, a thin blanket, a bottle of water, a jacket, a brush, the video he had spoke of, and a pocketknife. They checked all these to make sure they contained nothing. Thankfully, they were fruitless in their search, the women noted in relief.

"Stand straight with your arms held out." The girl Anbu had to watch the man's back as he padded down the stranger, very thorough and precise. She laughed as the boy looked away, a blush on his face and very uneasy. Just procedure, anyways.

"Done." This, the man said gruffly before swiftly returning to the women's side, watching warily as the boy placed all his belongings back into the small bag.

"Do you want to go get the Anbu leader to escort him to the Hokage's office? We can't be too careful, and he just got back from a mission. I'm sure this is alright for him." She addressed the man politely, though he could detect the smile in her voice. She liked him, and he shook his head to that. He could be a murderer, for all they knew.

He disappeared, and she turned to the idly waiting boy, at ease for no reason. Why was she so relaxed?

"Uh...I'm sorry for causing all this trouble! Um...can I call you Kaiyo [4], since you know, a mask usually means that you don't want to be known?" His hand was always on the back of his head, as if it were stuck there or something. She felt the beginning of a smile creeping onto her face. Too bad the kid was so young. He was cute!

"Sure, Nakitama-kun." A slight nod of her head, though she still kept watch of the boy who was now shifting in his place, taking in his surroundings. He looked very uncomfortable indeed.

So when he looked up and smiled at her, she started. Where was his shy, quiet, demeanor?

"Sooo....Is this Anbu Leader of yours cute?" He shot her a sly smile, threatening to break into a grin because she burst out laughing, as if he had just made the best joke in the world.

"Oh, god no. He's not just cute, he's downright fu-"

"I hope you aren't saying that about my person, 'Kaiyo'." The cold voice interrupted her mid-word, though instead of blushing, she turned to him and nodded.

"Yup."

The man had his mask off to the side, frozen eyes looking down at her.

"Oh, lighten up, Sasuke."

* * *

**Dai 3-ka: _Owarita._**

* * *

Yay XD!!! I'm done! Finally! I didn't have a computer to do it with ;; Kitty was sad. Cry for the kitty....Er....Yeah XD But moo anyways! 

**BIG NOTE TO EVERYBODY!!**

I had a crisis. I couldn't post on ;; But now I can, thanks to my amazing Beta Beth!(Inori-Sakura) XD Everybody Lurv her. XD So bug thanks and hugs to Beth...and...to all the readers too XD

I was in a puzzle at how to explain Shin's loss of memory, so I chose this option over making a short note. XP

**Chapter Notes:**

[1] Sakura came off as slightly over-obsessed, ne? XD

[2] They're all one year older, so that makes Shin 15, ne? It's two years later -.- Yeah...Onto the next one.

[3] Nakitama means Departed Soul. It's my muse Akuji's last name XD Mwahaha, I thought it would be cool. . [

4] Kaiyo means forgiveness. Just thought I'd point that out.

**Another small AN:** There you guys go! I finished! I didn't want to end it there, but I was like, "What the hell.". Sorry for the short chapter!! I'll have more time to write as soon as school starts, and I promise that the next chapter will be EXTRA long, ne?

**Review replies:** (from now on, replies to reviews will only apply when a reviewer has a question to ask.. gomen, but it takes up a lot of space.. -- )

Kashisenshey: You're not troublesome! You bothered to review! XD Thanks! The

Original Dirty Angel (Jae): This wasn't a soon update -.- XD And yes. But now you can't review on anymore ;; Gomen! And thanks for keeping with me these 2 nasty chappies!

Ookima: I updated when I could, Which wasn't soon enough. And hey, at least you reviewed, ne? Thanks! I'll hafta read one of your fics, ne? Thanks!

Katana-kun:....O.O -sniff- I feel so loved! I'm on your fav's? O.O Dear lord! Thank you so much! My first fav.'s list XD Man you're cool. Now you know Sasuke's reaction. Isn't he an icy bastard? I don't like him lately, because of what's happening in the manga -.- And curiosity is good XD Yay!..I still can't get over your review O. I'm obsessive, ne? And I give Iruka credit XD I know I wouldn't be able to fight off Kakashi! Lmao XD

Muchacha: Why yes, yes it is XD Thanks for the review!

Kutsu: My plot's solid? -pokes it- -stares as it collapses-...Eh. Good enough XD Thanks O.O That's constructive complimenting! XD And now you know what happens next, though this chapter sucks -.- Thanks XD

KizuPL: Thank-you for forgiving me XD I couldn't lose one of the coolest reviewers ;; Don't I sound desperate? I wonder how Sasuke and Sakura can too. Che, one's a bitch and the other's a bastard -.- Go figure. I bet now you hate Sasuke even more! -cackles- Oh well XD Arigatou and Ja!

Iceheart19: XD Naruto is uber-cute, isn't he? Adorable if I can say -.- Man, does he ever look like the Yondaime, ne? I find that so cool XD I suspect Yondaime's his father, but meh, that might just be me XD Thanks for the review!

Ghostninja85: I didn't update soon Gomen. But thanks for the compliments XD Trust me, they are appreciated.

Random Reader: I don't know why you're hooked either, personally XD This isn't a really good fic. Read Nazo's Naruto No Hohoemi. Now THAT'S a good fic!

Zayni: Whee! I'm an original! Nice changes are good, don't you agree? TO many Sexy no Jutsu fics -.- But a lot are good, none the less XD There's your update! And don't die XD Thanks for the review!

Kreyana: There! Updated...Though it's a nasty chapter, and long wait -.- But meh. I'll write a uber long chapter next chappie!...Muhahah, I have a weird obsession with naming my stories weird symbolic meanings. But that's just me XD lmao. I'll read it if you post it!

Jes: XD Call me Cat. My name's retarded. O. Ha! One of my favorite reviews. I'm glad...well, not really, but I'm feeling good that I made people get the emotion I wanted them to get XD Sad is not usually good, but good enough! -confetti- Don't mind me XD Thanks for the review!

Kiowen: No way am I abandoning it now! I actually like the idea...not the way I write it, but the idea XD Thanks for the review! Lalala: I bet you aren't happy about this one either. .- This one sucked, but thanks for the review XD

Ayako: I know. made me mad But what can ya do XD And this is what happened? Well, this was certainly a crappie chappie. XD Aren't I cool? XD Thanks for the review!

Kyuubi-chan: -celebrating the deaths of Sakura and Ino- -hands her a party hat- XD Join in. This wasn't quick, not at all -.- And I bet you could pull off the prank in some other city! Just my idea XD Mee hee hee, can do it cause I have a twin, so it's like a 24/7 thing XD Thanks for liking it O.O I love the support I'm getting XD Thanks! One of my favorite reviews XD

Alicia M.: XD No prob! It's just my incompetence and laziness that makes me too lazy to spell your name XD Gomen if that's an offence O.O YAY! I made a chapter unpredictable! Go me! And thanks XD I rather liked the ending myself. It made me feel diabol...diaboli...Ah screw it. Evil. Mwahaha. And you do not sound stupid! Don't dis the Alicia ...and sorry for the shortening of the last name XD Thanks and Ja!

Weaver: We won't see Itachi for a looong time, sadly. I want him too ;; XD But yeah! Thankies I'm glad. I hope I'm better at writing by the end of this story. Just another hope Thanks!

Rina: Awwww.....XD Don't cry. There! I continued! Though I doubt you're happy -.- I bet you're all "Ew...it sucks now." XD Eh heh...I look the gift horse in the mouth, ne? Thanks anyways

Rima: I think it was sexy too XD That's why I did it Mwahahahaha XD Really? I'd like at see it! ----;;; Maybe I copied it from you? XP lol But there I continued. Thanks for reading Shez: Well, there's the next chappie Wai, I don't like it . But whatever XD Extra long chappie next chap cause this one uber sucks. And I agree XD Poor Naru. I'm so mean ;; Thankies for reading!

Ochiba: As said earlier, Sasuke dubbed Naruto his best friend and vice versa XD Sasuke should defend Naruto! coughcauseweallknowitstruehedoescough XD But yeah I blame Sasuke solely for this mess. And maybe the lil' bastard in the back of my head. But that's a different story XD Eh heh....Yeah Thank-you for asking a question! XD I feel special. Need help special, not special special XD Yup. But anyways Thanks for reading thus far!

Yueh Kitsune: Let's gang up on the guard now XD lmao, he such a lazy ass. Maybe Shika's dad? And I didn't really update soon Gomen. Thanks for reading XD

Sasutolover: LET'S ALL BASH SASUKE!!!!!!!! XD cough I think he should go after Naruto, but he didn't. The meanie-head. And here's the update Gomen for taking so long XD;;;

Lauren: Aw. Thanks for the compliments ---------- I feel loved! XD I feel mean for doing that to Naru...oh...wait...I'm just hungry. Fair enough XD Thanks for reading!

Twilight Rose: There's this very bad update XD Thanks for liking it O.o Even if I don't -.- But yeah. ---- Thanks for reading!

There! Done XD I'm proud to get this many reviews (from and ). I'm glad that this many people like it ;; Thanks guys for reading.

And remember kids:

Don't do drugs. They may feel good at first, but eventually, you'll owe money.

Now push the button.

XD Just joking.

Thank you for reading, please review!


	4. Of Memories and Changes

Yay! An update from me! XD Feel happy. Or not, Depending on whom you are. Yeah...I'll shut up now. Eh heh heh...On with the notes. And stuff.  
  
**Notes:** No notes! Yay! I may have missed something. Enlighten me if I did, ne? XD;;  
  
Dedicated too: Kin Uchiha, SasuNaru123, Gisela, Kamikakushi, RuByMoOn17, Iceheart19, ghostninja85, Kyoko, Ravyn-09, Lauren, Hitomi, and Izumi.  
  
Especially dedicated too: My amazing Beta Beth, Ali, Ochiba, Unfortunately Freckled, Kyuubi-chan, and Tomomi!  
  
**Warnings:** Shounen-ai, yaoi, angst, and all the good stuff. Don't read if you don't like, and if I get any flames complaining about the BoyxBoy love, I'll be royally pissed XD SasuNaruSasu, ItaNaru (later on) and some other pairings if anybody asks!  
  
**Disclaimer:** I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! So you no sue the Kitty. Naruto is owned by Kishimoto-sama, and nobody else. All I own is the plot (unless people thought of the exact same thing Oo) and Shin XD

* * *

Bunraku: A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show. _**Bunraku  
**  
You won't cry for my absence, I know -  
  
You forgot me long ago.  
  
Am I that unimportant...?  
  
Am I so insignificant...?  
  
Isn't something missing?  
  
Isn't someone missing me?  
  
And if I bleed, I'll bleed,  
  
Knowing you don't care.  
  
And if I sleep just to dream of you  
  
I'll wake without you there,  
  
Isn't something missing?  
  
Isn't something...  
  
-Missing, Evanescence _

* * *

**Dai 4 - Ka: _Of Memories and Changes_**

* * *

"I hope you aren't saying that about my person, 'Kaiyo'." The cold voice interrupted her mid-word, though instead of blushing, she turned to him and nodded.  
  
"Yup."  
  
The man had his mask off to the side, frozen eyes looking down at her.  
  
"Oh, lighten up, Sasuke."  
  
Somehow, Shin was able to tear his eyes away from the gorgeous face (Albeit, the emotionless eyes), and ask Kaiyo a question.  
  
"Why ain't he wearing a mask like you guys? And why do all the cute ones have to be an ass?!" Completely irrelevant questions.  
  
This caused the black-haired women to smother her giggles with her hand, eyes darting up to the taken aback Uchiha in front of them. Then she let it go, Sasuke's discontented expression and Shin's despaired one were too much for her to take. Her laughter filled the awkward space between the three, causing Shin to grin widely and Sasuke to frown. Kaiyo wiped her eyes, finally pulling off her mask and smiling at the two.  
  
"I don't know why he isn't wearing a mask, Nakitama-san. But since he isn't, I thought I might as well take mine off." She looked similar to Shin, with tan skin, though she had brown eyes that radiated warmth and that looked as if she were always laughing.  
  
"You're pretty, Kaiyo." This was said thoughtfully, and thoughtlessly, as if Shin didn't care.  
  
"Thank-you, Nakitama-san." Amused brown eyes looked down at him, before she answered his second question, "And I don't know why all the cute ones are asses. Just like I don't know why all the hot ones are taken or gay."  
  
"I'm not taken, or gay!" He looked at her, grinning before sporting a pout, hands behind his head and smile pulling at his lips.  
  
She patted his head, laughing. "I have a boyfriend anyways, Naki-san. Besides-"  
  
"Can we leave now? I'm sure you're a very busy person, Kaiyo and I am too. And so is Tsunade-hime." Abruptly, she was cut off by an annoyed Uchiha, who'd placed the mask back on his face. She laughed, placing her own mask on her face and taking her place by the door, the other guard appearing on the other side of the door.  
  
With the movement, Sasuke jerked his head in the direction of the door, some sort of motion for Shin to follow him. So he did, throwing his over- used bag over his shoulder and following the Anbu, seemingly bored.  
  
"Soooo...You're Sasuke?" He always felt as if it were his duty to fill in when it was silent, though it was so noisy he could barely think. Children were playing, vendors were selling their wares, some were fighting, and some were talking. You could hear the clink of dishes from restaurants, and his stomach growled audibly. The green-eyed boy smiled secretly, pleased with himself.  
  
"Obviously." He was jolted out of his pattern of thought by the rather rude reply, and he scoffed at the tone.  
  
"Obviously you have no social skills. What's YOUR problem?" He crossed his arms, pouting visibly. All the Uchiha replied was with a 'Hn'. This guy acted as if he weren't worth his time! He was about to start yelling at the boy, when he got tackled. He blinked at the young face shoved in front of his, wide eyes excited.  
  
"Naruto-niichan! I knew you'd come back!" Was what popped out of this youth's mouth, and he blinked again, still dazed from being shoved to the ground. He shook his head as well as he could, before he looked up at the child above him in confusion.  
  
"I ain't no Naruto-niichan, kid. Name's Shin though." He smiled brightly at the disbelieving face above him. "Who the hell is this Naruto, though? Must be one sexy guy."  
  
"It's not Naruto, Konohamaru-san. Now get off our 'visitor.'" Sasuke's cold voice interrupted the two's almost argument, making both look up at him simultaneously, before they went back to ignoring him, their bickering rising in volumes. In seconds, the leaf genin had his hands up from his place on Shin's stomach, preparing to perform a Jutsu,  
  
"Come on Naruto-niichan! This is your famous Jutsu! You taught me this!" He started doing the necessary hand seals, and Shin's hand flew up and performed in succession, eyes wide and wondering what the hell was going on.  
  
There were two puffs of smoke and in Shin's and Konohamaru's place were a nude beautiful young woman, and... a guy? It had Shin's black hair and green eyes but...it was like a sexier version of him! Longer hair, exotic slant to the eyes... and he had no clothes on. In an instant, both Jutsu's were dropped and the boys were crouching with their backs to each other, holding their noses which had trickles of blood falling from them.  
  
They had created quite a scene, with their Jutu's-that-didn't-look-like- Jutsu's, and the fact that the two sexy people had disappeared. They stood up, trying to grin at the crowd that had gathered, though they failed miserably, due to the fact that one was a new-comer, and the other was the former Hokage's grand son.  
  
"Err... Sorry Shin. Guess you're not Naruto-niichan. He'd never had screwed up his famous Jutsu!" And with those words, the young genin disappeared into the crowd, leaving a perturbed Anbu leader and a sheepish stranger in the middle of the crowd. The black-haired teen scowled heavily from under his mask, taking it off and sending the crowd the infamous Uchiha death- glare. Needless to say, everyone was soon sent on their business, leaving the taller of the two glaring down at the other teen on the ground.  
  
"For someone who's lost their memory, you performed a Jutsu pretty well." Sasuke looked down at the boy, letting him know that he was on to him, and that he wouldn't get away with whatever he was trying to accomplish.  
  
"As if!" Shin crossed his arms again, glaring up at the boy in front of him. "If you had to walk from an old ladies house in the middle of nowhere to here, wouldn't you have picked up some tricks for saving yourself? All I know is this nifty trick this old woman taught me, Bunshin no Jutsu, and that one that Konohamaru just taught me. His hands were slow!" He threw his hands up in exasperation, and Sasuke, grudgingly, agreed that he had caught most of the seals used to perform Naruto's famous Jutsu.  
  
"For such a young kid, you're paranoid, Sasuke." The other boy scowled at him, effectively jerking him out of his thoughts. Again, he jerked his head in the direction of the office, walking beside a fuming Shin.  
  
Several minutes later, Sasuke and a bored-looking Shin were sitting in the waiting room to see the Hokage, the green-eyed boy still sulking about how suspicious people were, and whining about how he'd lost his faith in humanity. He would have continued too, if it weren't for the rude interruption. He looked up so he could glare at the person, only to blink at the young women in front of him.  
  
"Are you the Hokage? You're pretty young for a Hokage, aren't ya?" The women chuckled, motioning for the two to follow her. "No. I'm just Tsunade- hime's assistant in the office. Follow me, Sasuke-kun, Nakitama-san." She giggled and looked coyly at Sasuke, not caring that he was ignoring her, only looking straight ahead.  
  
In a few moments, they were standing outside the Hokage's office, and the women knocked politely, before opening the door and ushering them in. There was the sound of a door clicking shut behind them.  
  
"Tsunade-Hime." Sasuke bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment of the women at the desk, and the other black-haired boy tilted his head, confusion clearly etched on his face.  
  
"Sasuke, really, you must stop calling me that! You've known me long enough to just call me Tsunade. And who's that with you?" Was her curt reply, before she smiled warmly at the both of them, motioning for them to sit down. "Now I understand that..." She checked the paper in front of her, eyes scanning the sheet for the information she needed. "Shin Nakitama, right?" He nodded at her gaze, and she smiled again.  
  
"Shin Nakitama, age 15, arrived at Konoha, leaf village, on this date. He has no memory of the events leading up to his visit, besides the fact that an old woman took care of him, and when needed, gave him directions to our village. A doll, a thin blanket, a bottle of water, a jacket, a brush, a video and a pocketknife were found in his possession. Is this right, Shin?" She looked at him, trying to keep him comfortable with her smiles and kind eyes, and he nodded silently, interested in this particular person.  
  
"May I see these certain items, please?" This was a request she didn't really want to make, but they would have to run tests, just to see if the Anbu at the door had missed anything. She took everything that Shin gave her, and was careful to set the video aside to view. At the item after the video, she stopped; blue eyes wide at what she had pulled from his bag. Sasuke's eyes too, were wide and riveted to the item.  
  
The doll would have been a normal doll, with its fake hair and button eyes, if it weren't for the appearance of the doll. This particular doll had sun- kissed locks made out of artificial hair, and bright blue buttons in place of eyes. The doll had pale tan material in the place of skin, the outfit a simple orange cloth fashioned in the shape of pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Black fabric for shoes, and a white shoelace tied around the right 'thigh'. A symbol of a swirl decorated the back of the shirt, and a fuzzy material topping the neckline.  
  
Tsunade drew in a shuddering breath, eyes clenched shut. She could not see Sasuke, who was busy keeping his emotions in check. Both were forced to remember a particular boy, one that had left without a simple trace except the scars in their hearts. They remembered the traces they tried to get rid of, the ones that still were dug deep in their hearts. Then, both of them reigned their emotions in, only feeling empty, but not letting it show.  
  
Carefully, Tsunade checked the item for any traces of chakra, any traces that the item was not what it seemed. Paranoia had, in fact, paid off before. She got it from all those years of being a gambler, as well as it came with being part of the Legendary Three, she thought to herself dully. Tsunade was disappointed that nothing was wrong with the doll, besides it's appearance. She wanted desperately for it to lead to something that could, in turn, lead to Naruto.  
  
No such luck.  
  
"Where'd...Where did you get this doll?" Was the first thing that spilled from Tsunade's mouth, and she knew Sasuke was wondering the same question. How could an outsider, someone who was a traveler, have a mere doll that looked all too alike to their favorite hyperactive ninja?  
  
"The woman said it was there when I woke up..." Shin looked confused, utterly at a loss of words at the anguish that had passed across the woman's face. The question trailed off into an unspoken question, and Tsunade berated herself for forgetting something that important. How could he remember where he got the doll from, if he couldn't even remember who his parents were?  
  
"Ah... Right... Sorry." She rubbed her face wearily, minding her make-up, before she pointed to a corner of the room, where a T.V. sat [1], and a couple of chairs were occupying the space in front of it. "Let's watch the video, ok?" They both nodded, moving to make themselves comfortable in front of the television; Shin sitting in the chair closest, Sasuke leaning on the wall farthest. She fiddled with it, sitting down when a picture appeared on the previously black screen.  
  
A mirror image of the boy in the room was on the screen, smiling and fooling around against a white wall background. Sasuke noted that the date on the bottom of the screen was a few months previous, then returned to watching the video. The boy had a surprised look on his face when he was discovered that the camera was on, and he scrambled to smooth down his hair (which, evidently, didn't work) and straighten himself up. Once he was ready, he stood up straight and smiled into the camera. He started, in a voice softer then his real-life twin's.  
  
"Hello. My name is Shin Nakitama, age 15. I'm a guy obviously, right?" Green eyes glared at the person behind the camera, who had probably been laughing. "But, continuing. Before I start more, I'd like to thank this loving family," There were a few hushed laughs at this, and he glared once again, making a shushing motion with his hands, "For letting me use their video camera. It was very kind of them!" He smiled widely into the camera.  
  
"I've been traveling ever since I can remember, simply because I have no recollection of my parents." So he had no parents to remember. Another orphan. "There is no actual clan I know of that holds the name of Nakitama, so I wouldn't bother looking. I just randomly picked a name one day...I have never been able to write, save my name, and my possessions are few and far between. I belong to no particular village." He just seemed to talk about whatever came to mind, to which he would tell his audience he never knew. "The reason I'm taping this thing is that it's like my will, telling anybody and everybody who cares," He laughed at this, throwing his hands behind his head, "That finders' keepers'. Whoever finds my stuff can keep it."  
  
"I bet you're wondering why I'm taping such a thing at this age, right?" And they were. How had he known that he would lose his memory? "Reason number 1: I'll probably be dead before my next birthday. Or a vegetable." He shrugged non-coherently, as if this didn't bother him. "And there's no real second reason. Reason one's good enough!" He laughed at his own joke, grinning sheepishly. "But yeah...That's all I really needed to say. This is a will anyways, and I have no relatives. Remember, finder's keeper's guys. Have a good day, or night, depending on when and where you are. Ja Ne!"  
  
Then the film ran blank, and static filled the screen. The room was silent besides the dull ringing that came with the silent television screen, save for the crackling from the leftovers from the video. Tsunade got up, pressing the stop button on the video player and taking the video itself, slipping it in a bag.  
  
She'd made sense of most the video, though a few of the English phrases had eluded her. Who would have known that the boy before them would tape his will in English? The entire video was in that particular language! As the hokage, she had to learn it, because it was obligatory in case any English- speaking visitors would visit their small town, however doubtful. She'd never thought it would come in handy! And this boy interested her...The doll, the non-existing memories, the English... everything.  
  
She turned to the boys, tape in hand. Sasuke looked rather uncomfortable, not being able to have translated any of the video, save the name. It didn't sit well with him that he hadn't been able to understand something that was needed. He felt slightly useless. He looked apprehensive and broody, and Tsunade knew better then to talk to him.  
  
Shin, on the other hand, looked like he'd understood perfectly. It looked as if he hadn't even known that he'd spoken another language in the video, perfectly even! Had he even known he could speak English? He'd spoken nothing but Japanese since he'd come here!  
  
"Shin, did you know you could speak English?" She really didn't like speaking this particular language, because it was so complicated. But she did anyways, looking expectantly at Shin. If he really spoke English, he should have been able to translate what she said without a second thought.  
  
"I guess so...I've been speaking nothing but Japanese since I got here, so this is new to me too!" He laughed, grinning as though ashamed. He played with his necklace, looking thoughtful. "Though, I guess learning a language is like riding a bike. You never really forget it!" She struggled with that particular sentence, and Shin looked apologetic.  
  
Satisfied with what she'd found out, she turned to Sasuke, and laughed at what she saw. The black-haired man looked flustered, not being able to understand anything either of them had said. He settled for scowling at the pair, who in turn grinned at him.  
  
"Sorry about that Sasuke. I forgot that you don't know Engl-" Abruptly, she was cut off by a knock on the door, and her assistant poked her head in, smiling apologetically. "Tsunade-sama? Sorry for interrupting, but Yamanka- chan is here, as you requested." "Thank-you, Aiko. Send her in."  
  
"Sasuke-kun!" There was a blonde blur that attached itself to Sasuke's midsection, squealing his name in several different decibels. Sasuke seemed annoyed, but other then that, was fine. He was used to it by now.  
  
"Ino-chan." Tsunade's amused voice cut through her insistent chatter, effectively silencing her. She blushed and bowed her head to Tsunade. "Forgive me, Tsunade-hime. I got carried away. What was it that you needed me for?" Tusnade smiled at the apologetic looking Ino. "Sit and I'll tell you."  
  
The women sat down, leaving only Sasuke who always stood leaning against the wall, standing. Ino looked curiously at the new boy, but knew Tsunade would get around to introducing him to her, and vice versa.  
  
"I called you here, Ino, because your clan has a very useful technique that has helped us in more then one situation. That's the only reason I called you, and not your mother or father," She smiled apologetically at the young blonde in front of her, waving her hand, "Not that you don't suffice, but this includes the safety of our village. But anyways, with this war happening, I couldn't get anyone more experienced in your particular field." Ino knew she shouldn't be offended, and she wasn't. She felt proud that the hokage would even consider asking her for her help.  
  
"To get around to introductions, Ino, this is Shin Nakitama." Shin stuck his hand out to her, a grin on his face, "And Shin, this is Ino Yamanka."  
  
"Nice to meet ya, Yamanka-chan." The green-eyed teen smiled at her, looking down and shaking her hand. She followed suit, smiling at how cute the new boy was. No where near Sasuke-kun, but cute.  
  
"The reason I need your particular technique is to just scan Shin's mind. He claims to have no memory what-so-ever." At Shin's surprised glance, she quickly added, "Not that I don't believe him, but we do have to pay attention to every detail with the previously mentioned war, right?" They all nodded, the 'stranger' albeit reluctantly. Tsunade smiled gratefully at the three.  
  
"Ino-chan, Sasuke will be making sure nothing happens. We will take you away from him if anything indicates this isn't going right, alright?" Ino nodded, then she continued, "And Shin, all Ino will be doing is taking a slight trip into your mind. You'll both be unconscious, since it's a different version of Mind Body switch Jutsu. You should be awake within several minutes, if everything is successful. Alright?" Again, they both nodded, and faced each other, Shin slightly apprehensive, Ino calm. She'd performed this said Jutsu thousands of times, why wouldn't she perform it now?  
  
Slowly, Ino reached forward and touched Shin's forehead, closing her eyes as both slumped forward.  
  
"Hopefully, this will go well, ne Sasuke?" He nodded, and they watched.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX In Shin's Mind XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
'Why is it so dark?' was the first though that entered Ino's mind, though it resounded clearly through the...'room' they were in. It was completely dark...Save for a sort of fog, curling around her ankles. Some of it looked like curtains, and some of it was like a carpet. She couldn't tell where anything was...It was just so dark. Normally, people's minds that she entered contained a library of all the Jutsu's they knew, and then the general structure of the room reflected how the person was 'built'. How many windows or doors, if there were any, showed how secure the person was, and how willing they were to let people in. The color of the room, of course, reflected the personality. Many other factors were included, like what kind of things were on the walls, and how many things were strewn across the floor, or whether it was neat or not.  
  
She'd never expected complete black.  
  
It was in all actuality the darkest black she'd ever seen. No source of light except the pure white mist swirling around. The only time she could see her hand was when she ran it through the mist...which was unnaturally cold. Just now, she'd realized how hot the room was, and she ran a hand across her forehead, brows furrowing in confusion.  
  
Suddenly, she saw a flare of light to her far left, and she whipped around, squinted eyes searching for whatever the source was. She saw something...And now, she knew, that the room wasn't the blackest black. Whatever that was, that was the blackest black.  
  
All Ino could make out was the outline. No features, no colors, just the outline. Vaguely, she thought that it was the silhouette of a...boy, or of a short man. But the thing beside it must have been some sort of monster. Huge, walking on four legs and it had something dragging behind it. Now, the blonde was aware of the sound of a soft laugh, and the noise of something being dragged across the ground.  
  
When the boy -it had to be the boy- spoke, she started, blue eyes watching the movements as boy and monster walked circles around her. "Ino Yamanka. Welcome. And don't call him a monster. It's rude. You don't see me calling you ugly, do you? You are a guest, after all." She felt her anger boiling beneath the surface. The boy was mocking her. How dare he! What had she ever done to him?! She'd just met him!  
  
"Nakitama-san! Don't be so...so..." "Uncouth?" "Yes!" She didn't even bother to control the anger in her voice, though she was trying furiously to calm down. She shouldn't have let him get to her...  
  
Another flash of light, and she was staring with wide eyes, something clicking in her mind. She'd seen something she'd only seen in books, something she'd been told that her Grandpa and Grandma had fought furiously against. Something that could destroy mountains with merely a swish of it's tails. Could it have really been that sort of monster? She shuddered, suddenly praying that she'd get out of here alive.  
  
"Ino, Ino, Ino... Thinking of him while you don't even recognize me? You really are still mean!" The voice sounded right over her right shoulder and she whipped around fearfully, now wary of both the large form circling her, and the boy steadily walking towards her. Carefully, she set herself in a defensive stance, mindful that if she fought here, she would not only kill Shin, but herself in the process.  
  
"Don't try it." And abruptly, he was in front of her, a grin on his face. All she saw were blue and red eyes, before everything fell to black.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Back at Tsunade's office. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
Blue and green eyes blinked at each other, hazed over from the recent trip to unconscious-ness. Shin rubbed his eyes blearily, thinking how much that was like sleeping, but different.  
  
"Ino? Shin? Everything alright?" The Hokage looked at them in concern, a hand on each of their shoulders. Ino had muttered something in her 'sleep', as well as Shin. Nothing had necessarily gone wrong though. She just was just slightly worried.  
  
"Ino, come with me." The blonde girl nodded and stood up with Tsunade. Both the women walked out of the room, leaving Sasuke and Shin to sit in silence. She closed the door behind them, looking expectantly at Ino. "So?"  
  
Ino stretched, smiling at the Hokage's worried demeanor. "So, nothing. The only thing unusual," Tsunade drew in a sharp breath, and Ino laughed, "was that it was unnaturally empty. There were basically two Jutsu scrolls, and about 2 months content of memories. He holds the essential information, like the languages he's learned, how to speak, how to eat, mobile skills. All the stuff a normal person knows." Ino laughed again as Tsunade let out the breathe she'd been holding in. "Nothing out of the ordinary for someone with no memories."  
  
"Thank-you Ino. You can leave now. Thanks for everything!" The blonde women smiled at her. "I'll see you later, Ino."  
  
"Bye Tsunade-hime!" She waved at the young woman's' retreating back, before opening the door, relieved there was no bad news. She felt some sort of...attachment to Shin already.  
  
"Soooooo... Am I an enemy ninja or not?" She laughed at this, because the boy was crouching in front of Sasuke, and the black-haired Anbu leader was giving him an alienated look.  
  
"No, not at all." She couldn't stop smiling, being relieved not having to condemn such a young child. He reminded her, already, of Naruto. As strange as that sounded. "Sasuke, may I speak with you a moment?"  
  
He nodded and followed her out of the room, keeping the door open a crack, since he didn't entirely trust the boy in the room, alone. "Hn?" He looked at her imploringly, head tilted slightly to the side.  
  
"Would Shin be able to stay at your house?" She put a hand up at his beginning protests, knowing that it had been coming. "Just until we find a place for him! You have the biggest house, for it to have only one person occupying it is a waste of space. Please, Sasuke-kun?" She looked pleadingly at him, and he sighed.  
  
Sasuke sighed in defeat. "Fine." He answered gruffly.  
  
"Thank-you so much Sasuke!" She heaved a sigh, touching his shoulder lightly. "I don't know what I would do without you."  
  
"Be short an Anbu leader?" Was the dry reply that came, and Tsunade gave a short laugh, pushing the door open further. The young Shinobi rarely spoke, and even more rarely, cracked a joke. "That would be true, Sasuke-kun."  
  
"So... what's happening?" Shin grinned at the two, still in his previous crouching position. "Do I get to do some important thing that nobody else does?" He laughed, standing up straight and stretching.  
  
"As if. What you get to do is...Stay at Sasuke's house!" She tried to make it seem important, but obviously, if the boys face was anything to go by, that was very unimportant.  
  
"...As in, I-have-a-stick-up-my-ass Sasuke? As in the one standing not two feet away from you?" He groaned loudly, decidedly flopping in one of the chairs to emphasize his distress. 'It'd be more fun trying to teach a wall to talk.' He decided to himself, still grumbling.  
  
"Shin-san, it's only temporary. Until we find you a house and job of your own." In all reality, she was enjoying this boy's agony, finding it was refreshing for someone to mourn over such a petty thing, whereas in the time of war, nobody complained about anything.  
  
"Now get out. I have work to do. You guys wasted enough of my time!" Promptly, she shoved the two boys out of the room, delighting in one's cries of protests and the other's amused smirk. "Go eat or something. Stop bugging the Hokage."  
  
As soon as they'd left, with pledges of revenge from the green-eyed boy, she sat back at her desk, resting her head in her hands. It had been a long day, and it was going to get longer...She looked at the doll flopping uselessly in her hand, and sighed heavily, dropping it and massaging her temples.  
  
Yeah, it was going to be a long day.  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
"You heard the Hokage! Let's eat! And you get to pay, since I'm your house guest!" Shin grinned widely at the Anbu leader walking beside him, ignorant of the stares and whispers they were drawing. 'Who's that with Sasuke-kun?' 'Sasuke-kun can't be gay!' 'He isn't! It's a new comer. I heard he's from an enemy village.'  
  
"I never agreed to pay for you. I have to get back to work soon." He was used to the stares and whispers, ever since he'd gotten the position of Anbu leader a few months ago. They were scared of him, afraid he'd follow in Itachi's footsteps. He always had to laugh, inwardly, at that. He was better then Itachi now. He'd prove it the next time they fought.  
  
"But...I have no money." The pitiful whimper of his companion drew him out of his reverie, and he cocked a brow at the pouting boy. "And weren't you working when you were taking me to Tsunade's?"  
  
"So? You having no money is none of my concern." He completely ignored the question about his work. His schedule was erratic, never ceasing sometimes. He hadn't slept for exactly 61 hours, 34 minutes. Not that he was counting.  
  
Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he smirked in amusement. The boy looked rueful, arms crossed and pouting. Boys did not pout.  
  
"Fine. I'll take you to Ichiraku." He had his suspicions, of course. Ones he'd been trying to avoid. He didn't want to tug at his heartstrings, bringing up old memories that consisted of blonde haired dobe and his own lonely days. But, maybe, this could be. Even without any memory, could he be...that person?  
  
A cheer and a few minutes later, they were standing outside of the Ramen shop, Shin sniffing at the smell wafting out, and Sasuke standing impassively by his side. The owner of the shop recognized Sasuke and waved him over, grinning widely at his favorite customer. The impassive teen had come here often, for two years. He'd never come to the place before, but something must have happened. He wasn't about to complain, though.  
  
"Ah. Sasuke. The usual?" He glanced at the Sasuke's companion, looking around and leaning against the counter as if he were home. "Plus one?" He smiled at the boy's nod, and whisked away to the back, ordering what 'the usual' was, and telling the chef's what was wrong with them. What a manager usually did.  
  
"Sooo...Sasuke...What would you say if I told you I loved you?" He grinned widely at the startled boy across from him, and then batted his lashes, looking for all he was worth like he had something stuck in his eye.  
  
"I'd say you're an idiot." Was the short reply, and the hyperactive boy fell off his seat laughing, drawing quite a few stares before he got up, grinning at the 'audience' of the restaurant. "Nothing to see here, folks." He waved their stares away, returning his attention to Sasuke, who looked unruffled, even if he was the item of many stares.  
  
"You get it enough from the chicks in this town, don't you? That Ino girl was all over you, and you've been getting a lot of stares since I've been with you! Not saying that some of the girls were staring at me..." And he rambled on about pointless things, and Sasuke wondered if the boy just liked to hear the sound of his own voice.  
  
As soon as the two bowls of Miso Ramen were set in front of them though, Shin shut up, staring at the steaming substance in front of him. He sniffed, and then made a face.  
  
"...Sasuke, I hate Ramen. It's gross."  
  
"Too bad." Inwardly, Sasuke was glad his suspicions were wrong.  
  
He was definitely not Naruto.

* * *

**Dai 4 - Ka: _Owarita_**

* * *

That was the end! Yay! That was freakin' long! That was....12 pages of story, with 5934 words. Wh00t! Go Kitty! I told you guys it'd be long XD! Just cause the last chapter was so short. Originally, I planned on ending it at the Ino part, but I was all, "Ah, what the hell." That's 3000 words more then I usually do! But yeah On with the notes!  
  
[1] I don't know if they even have TV's in the Naruto world. Erk.  
  
That's the only note I have, though I should have a lot more. Eek Plotholes, anyone?  
  
**Editor's Notes:** Since Kitty went out on vacation she kinda left me in an odd situation. Kitty-chan didn't give the chapter a title! So I'm winging it. XD I'm sorry on both mine and Kitty's behalf, since there may be some odd regulations in this chapter. Gomen nasai.  
  
Now for answers to SOME reviews:  
  
Izumi: Why're you confused? Ask anything and I'll be glad to sort it out for you!  
  
Kyuubi-chan: Thank-you so much for offering! I've gotten a really great reply to my request for a beta, and sadly, I wanted to pick everybody, but my Ali smacked me upside the head XD;;; Thanks for saying you would anyways!  
  
Iceheart19: When somebody says, "My person." they mean themselves XD;;; Gomen if I sound rude, I just though I'd clear that up! Thank-you so much for your reviews, though! I appreciate every single one!   
  
Unfortunately Freckled: That sounds cruel, but awesome XD Wow . One of the best you've read so far? You're gonna read A LOT more that are way better then this! But anyways, welcome to the Naruto fandom!   
  
Gomen! I'm sorry I couldn't reply to all of your reviews. I no longer have the time, even if you do take the time to write me something so wonderful! Gomen nasai, everyone! I like ALL of your reviews!  
  
And that's it. Phew. That was alotta writing. -whaps self- XD I was having a writers block, but Purrfectly679's fic I think I better leave right now, got me right out of the rut with that last chapter! I almost cried. Blargh. It's a great fic XD Go read it.  
  
So, I'll end it with the traditional 'Please review' plea.  
  
Please help the suffering, not paid authors. They need love too, only in the form of reviews. For just one click, and on sentence a chapter, you can help these little people write.  
  
So please review.  
  
(Now that sounded retarded.) 


	5. Of realisations and dreams

FINALLY! An update. It's been abit, ne? Gomen for the wait XD;; I was on vacation, and various other things I won't bug you about, right? I doubt you'd want to hear about them anyways! But anyways, since I highly doubt you want to listen to me ramble anymore, here's the notes, and then the story!

**Notes:**...Once again, I'm probably missing a couple of things, but I forget them if I did...Oh. And I noticed people are confused with some of the story, so hopefully, this chapter will explain some of it, right?

**Dedicated too:** Everybody who's reviewed! Sorry I can't write down everybody, guys! I'd really like to, but...the author is lazy XD;

**Whee! -!: **My awesome Beta, Beth, My sister, Ali, and my friend Shika-can, whom I just discovered was reading this. Oo

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai, which is two boys liking each other. Otherwise known as Gay Boi's. So don't bitch at me later, cause I put the warning up, k? Now that that's settled, there's SasuNaruSasu (you won't see it about yet X3), ItaNaru (near the very end), and any other pairings anybody asks for XD

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything that has Naruto or any of the characters X3 They were all Kishimoto-sama's brain children, so no sue!

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_I only smile in the dark  
My only comfort is the night gone black  
I didn't accidentally tell you that  
I'm only happy when it rains  
  
You'll get the message by the time I'm through  
When I complain about me and you  
I'm only happy when it rains_

_You can keep me company  
As long as you don't care  
  
I'm only happy when it rains  
You wanna hear about my new obsession?  
I'm riding high upon a deep depression  
I'm only happy when it rains  
Pour some misery down on me..._

_-Only happy when it rains, Garbage._

_'...He was floating in a quiet black, without any cares, or worries, or anything that could cause him stress...Just floating, with nothing and nowhere in sight. And he didn't really care, because when was the last time he had been carefree?...'_

"Oi...Sasuke...Come on..."

'_There was obviously someone calling him, and he cringed, annoyed with the voice disturbing his deep reverie. What did it want? He just wanted to...be...'_

"Come on, you lazy excuse for an Anbu leader..."

_'The voice was louder, and more insistent this time, but all he did was swat it away, and close his eyes. He heard a sigh (of frustration maybe?) and then he was left alone again. He actually liked being alone at moments like this...'_

Moments later, he shot awake, the result of the icy water that had been dumped on his bed not seconds before. He reacted on instinct, immediately grabbing several kunai's from various places, throwing them in any, in all directions.

An indignant screech was heard, and the black-haired teens eyes adjusted to the light, squinting but very aware what was going on around him.

He was standing on his bed -his cold and very _wet _bed-, dripping and surprised. He had been half-asleep when the water was dumped on him, and very surprised to see what had resulted from his instant reflexes.

Backed up all the way to the other wall was a black-haired boy, green eyes wide with surprise. Not two inches away from his crouch were several kunai in a line, starting not a foot away from the bed he was currently occupying. Only now did he remember about his new guest

Though he didn't show it, inwardly, the Uchiha boy was amused. Shin must have had to scramble back pretty fast, to avoid the deeply embedded kunai's in the floor. Even if it was dangerous, since it hadn't happened, it was a good way to wake up.

Though, as soon as he heard the voice, he immediately regretted laughing (as silently as he had).

"Sasuke you ass! What the hell was that for?!?! Is this the payment I get for making you breakfast, you bastard?!"

Only now did he smell a soft scent wafting from the kitchen a level below, and he sniffed deeply, relishing in a scent he had not smelled in a long time. The scent was not the only thing invading his mind, but memories of when he was young started creeping in...

The black-haired teen shook his head, clearing it only to find a pair of angry green eyes close to his face, and as reflex he stepped back...Right off the edge of the bed.

He bit back what would have been a yelp, (but he was a Uchiha, and Uchiha's _obviously _didn't yelp.) so he settled for just landing unceremoniously on the ground to the laughs of the other occupant of the room.

"Man..." He was holding his stomach, doubled over in his efforts to stop laughing. "An anbu leader...Falling off..." He gasped, collapsing on the floor, leaning back on his hand. "The side of the bed..."

"Why does this strike you as funny?" Sasuke's cold voice interrupted the other boys fit of laughter, effectively stopping it. "Get out. I'll be downstairs momentarily." To his relief, and annoyance, Shin left, still laughing under his breath.

OoO

Sasuke padded down the stairs, a scowl fixed on his face. Contraire to what he had thought earlier, this day wasn't turning out to be what he hoped for. In fact, it was turning out much, _much _worse.

"Ah! Sasuke!" He saw Shin waving a spatula, grinning. "Come on. 'Fore your food gets cold!...Or I eat it." The green-eyed boy shrugged, turning around to flip another pancake.

Black eyes blinked, as he slowly made his way to the table. The _set _table. The table with plates with pancakes on them. Oh yes, Shin had mentioned something about making breakfast, hadn't he?

"See. Told you I made breakfast!" Could he read minds? "Sasuke, you really need to have your supplies for cookin' all in one place, you know? I had to get up really early to just _find _everything, let alone cook it! And then I had some difficulty 'cause..."

The teen at the table let him ramble on, opting for pouring a minimal amount of syrup on the food before him. It wasn't the best meal he'd ever had, but it was one of the most recent home-cooked ones...

"How did you know how to cook pancakes? If you'd lost all your memories?" It had struck him as really weird, that the Nakitama kid could do that. Hadn't he forgotten everything? Everything, anything, and remembered nothing...

He watched him expectantly, chewing slowly and waiting for an answer. The other boy looked thoughtful for a minute, before he smiled at him. Again, he was caught off guard, then berated himself when the answer was given.

"I think..." He tapped his head with the spatula, still smiling. "That I only lost all personal memories, you know? And it's pretty easy to make pancakes, if you ask me. There are instructions on the mix box, unless I'm seeing things not there, right?" The bright-eyed boy shrugged before turning back to his hissing pan, flipping the pancake that was occupying it in the air before letting it land squarely back in the pan, the mix splattering over the apron.

A few moments later, he heard a clatter beside him, and he looked out of the corner of his eye to see the other diving into his food as if he hadn't eaten in ages. He rolled his eyes to himself and returned to eating, brooding over how he was cursed to house such a person.

He heard Shin pushing his chair back, the legs scratching the hardwood floor, though he could care less. He looked up to see the boy padding over to the sink, dishes in hand. Vaguely, he heard the green-eyed teen telling him to hurry up and eat, he didn't have all day, what, was Sasuke asleep or something? He just continued chewing, oblivious to the other person occupying the 'small' kitchen.

Blinking, he looked up at Shin, who was currently dumping the food (that had just been in front of him a few seconds ago), in the garbage.

"What did you do that for?!" Sasuke's irritated tone cut through the crinkling of the black bag that his food was being thrown in, as perfectly good as it was._  
_

"You were going to slow!"

"That doesn't mean you should throw away good food! Not all of us have black holes like you!"

"Yeah, well-" There was a crash, and the sound of shattering glass, and Sasuke whipped his head up, dark eyes taking in a frightened Shin, clutching his left hand to his chest, blood dripping from his hand.

"Hey, are you ok? What-" He made a move toward Shin, only to be stopped when Shin stepped back, flinching as the glass cut into his bare feet.

"Oi! S'ok, s'ok! I'll just go to the bathroom and clean myself up! No biggie!" And with those words, the lean boy padded out of the room, feet crunching over glass in his haste to reach the aforementioned room.

Vaguely, Sasuke thought he would have to clean his rugs, because there were bloody footprints on his rug now, and blood was so very hard to wash out, wasn't it?

And when Sasuke's thoughts finished themselves through, he watched a very amazing, if not perplexing event. Black eyes took in the sight of disappearing blood, just sinking into the carpet, that had previously been dyed red.

It was now Sasuke noticed something peculiar.

Shin's blood, the blood from his hand, never had touched the ground.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Eh, Sasuke, what're you reading'?" A voice cut through his thoughts, disturbing his mental state and annoying the hell out of him.

He looked out from beneath his eyelashes, to the dripping wet boy a few meters away from him. Shin had a towel draped over his head, and one of Sasuke's old robes thrown haphazardly on him, so much that one of his arm stuck through a hole in his robe.

So help it if he noticed his housecoat was a little mutilated.

"You ripped it up." A statement more then a question. The prestigious Uchiha did not question _anything._

"Yup. Dude, it used to be ugly. Sorry if I made it look a lil' better." His sarcastic tone was obvious, but Sasuke ignored it, instead taking the chance to study the rather unpresentable figure before him.

The hole (the one he had thought was only worn fabric) was in fact, the _armhole. _There were actually no sleeves to this new and improved (this had yet to make sense to him) housecoat. Where the sleeves once were, were torn threads, just like the bottom of the robe, which was now considerable shorter, enough so that it couldn't even be called a large shirt. Thank _God _Shin was wearing pants under his destroyed belonging.

"Don't go through my things again." Was the curt reply, distracted since the owner of the voice was now back to reading. His eyes darted across the page, skimming to the full extent of the word.

There were few precious moments of silence in which Sasuke savored, these moment being so few and far in between with the new occupant of the Uchiha residence. He heard the other boy sit down with a huff. Most probably crossing his arms, as a child would when angry, was the dull thought that wandered into Sasuke's mind.

"Sooo...." The other boy dragged out the word. Probably struggling with what to say, Sasuke thought smugly. "What're you reading'?"

"None of your business."

He had a good time with that, because he could almost hear Shin fuming his agitation at having to talk to him, but he silently congratulated Shin on lasting this long without trying -trying being the key words- to punch his face in. Try.

Abruptly, he stood up, making his way over to Shin. Now it was the green eyed boys turn to wonder what the hell the 'talkative' mute was doing walking towards him. He shivered when he felt Sasuke's breath descend upon his ear, as Sasuke had leaned over so his chin was almost resting on Shin's shoulder, causing tremors to go up his spine.

"...Excuse me." Were the breathy words whispered in his ear, and Shin flinched, as if shocked. Before he knew it, Sasuke was walking away with book in hand, and only now he realized that the prodigy had been toying with him.

The book case sat right behind where he was sitting.

"Oi! Sasuke! What the hell was that?!" In fact, Sasuke was wondering that himself. Why was had he pulled such a stupid stunt? He gained nothing from the action worthy of Nar...an idiot, and he had earned nothing but the satisfaction of seeing Shin flustered.

So that, Sasuke decided, was good enough of a reward for him.

Unfortunately, Shin was growling out the reasons he hated the 'bastard' so much. 'The bastard' being one of the more affectionate names. So God help him if he didn't say the one thing that could shut the boy up.

"Pass me, 'Foreign Chakra and its' limits' Bakamono." Whoever said he had to be nice about it?

"Shut up...baka! Why didn't you get it on your little escapade?!" He grumbled and whined about it, but he turned around to locate said book, when he stopped. He started laughing, causing Sasuke to look up at him.

There, being waved in front of his face, was the most embarrassing book (if it could be called that) in the house.

Icha Icha Paradise, Volume 2. Why had he kept that infernal book on his shelf?

"Who woulda believed that THE great Uchiha Sasuke, has a porn mag in his bookcase!?! Priceless!" And Shin continued to rave on until Sasuke had to take drastic measures to shut him up.

He grabbed the book and tore it in half.

Shin stared at him in amazement, the laughter cut short by the tearing of paper.

"...That was a perfectly good book."

"So?"

"Who gave it to you?" And this was one question he was reluctant to answer, for the simple fact that the person who gave it to him was supposed to be a model figure.

"My Sensei." Really, who would want to say their teacher gave them straight out porn? Well, either Sasuke didn't know this wasn't a natural thing, or he didn't care.

There was a long silence, and he returned to his book, frowning as if it were a practiced face, and it most probably was. He could just imagine Shins mouth dropped in an 'o' of surprise, eyes wide and a flush on his cheeks...

He shook his head, not just because of his thoughts, but because of the answer.

"...I want your teacher!" Yes, Shin's mouth had an 'o' shape to it, but it wasn't of surprise, it was of awe. His eyes were wide, but he wasn't sure if it was worship or pleading. And there _was _a flush to his cheeks, but it was of excitement. He was waving his hands around like a mad man, as if it was the only thing that mattered in all of the world.

"Man! I bet your teacher is the best! Giving out porn!? How cool can you get?!" Sasuke still did not understand how a teenage boys mind worked, never mind he was one," I want to meet this guy! Sasuke, you _have _to introduce me to this famous person! He has to be the coolest person I'll have met since a couple weeks ago! I doubt I ever met someone better! _Please _Sasu-"

"And who is this super-famous person you speak of?" A cheeky voice interrupted Shin's excited rant. There, said person was crouching on the windowsill, parchment in one hand...

And, of course, Icha Icha Paradise in the other.

"Kakashi." Was Sasuke's curt greeting, though his eyes never left the page.

"How cold, my favorite student!" There was a pained tone to his voice, but _maybe _(this, Sasuke thought sarcastically), it was acting! Or _maybe _his teacher was serious?

"Sh-" "Wait, you're his sensei I've heard so much about?!" He shot Shin a glare that would have froze anyone that wasn't an idiot. And heard so much about? He couldn't _recall _saying _anything _about Kakashi!

"So _I'm _this super-famous person you guys are talking about?" The jounin's one eye curved upward in a pleased expression. But you could only tell if you knew him.

"Yeah! Hell yes!" The hyper-active teens voice held an excited note to it, "I can't believe a teach' gave his _student _porn!"

This caused Kakashi to twitch.

"I prefer it to be called an _art." _

"Art, porn, what's the-"

"Yes. Now what do you want?" He cut of Shin's almost-mistake (Kakashi's pet peeve: Come Come Paradise being called _porn _of all things. It was an art, For the love of Kami!

"I just wanted to say hello to my favorite student! You shouldn't talk to your superiors like that, Sasuke! I'm hurt!" The protesting voice only added to Sasuke's headache. And annoyance. It added to his annoyance too.

"I outrank you, Kakashi." He hadn't even lifted his eyes to meet his Sensei's one.

"...That may be so, but I'm still wiser then you!" The cheeky voice was back, and he ruffled the pale boys hair, much to his disdain and annoyance. He may have looked calm on the outside, but on the inside, he could go kamikaze. But he didn't, because he was a Uchiha. Maybe he should pull an Itachi and kill off some random clan?

"What did you really come for?" He let some off his 'anger' slip into the tone, and Kakashi handed him the scroll without a word, and he opened it, and regretted reading it.

_'Hey Mr.Uchiha Sasuke!_

_I just wanted to inform you that Shin has enough credit to buy some clothes and food for himself. He just has to say his name at any of the outlets in Konoha, and the cost will be billed here!_

_That's not the only thing I should mention. Since we are at war, we still need our _very _capable Anbu Leader _(At this, he groaned. Yeah. Right.). _But! You'll only have one day missions (_a sigh)_, as we need your protection, and your squads usefulness is very much appreciated during these times. _

_Hyuuga Neji will be keeping Shin during the day, testing his skills and gouging his chakra levels and such. Maybe he could be a help, once we see through everything that's keeping him from being a citizen at Konoha._

_Lucky you though, Sasuke. You get to watch Shin during the night! Thanks for all your help, Sasuke, because this is greatly appreciated!_

_Love, your Hokage,_

_Tsunade_

_P.S. Get some sleep, we don't want you falling asleep while fighting!_

And that was the end of the note. The note that made him wish it was possible to down a whole bottle of Advil in one go. He eyed the container of the pills sitting on the counter with a wistful look, before he turned his gaze to his _'awesome' _teacher.

"..." Just because he looked at Kakashi didn't mean he had to _say _anything.

"Soooo...." Mentally, Sasuke groaned. He didn't need Shin 'breaking the silence', "What's that about?"

"...I'll take you to meet Hyuuga. He's the one you'll be staying with during the day. You stay at my residence until you get a place of your own to stay in." Short, sweet, and if his voice was anything to go by, extremely disturbing to his being. This was _definitely _an ideal way to spend his night.

"....Who's this Neji guy?" Didn't this idiot hear _anything _else?!

"A fellow anbu." He answered this shortly, before standing up so he was face to face with his former teacher. "Arigatou, Kakashi-san."

"No problem, my favorite former student!" Was the jounin's cheeky reply, his one visible eye curved upwards. "But I'll be leaving you two to your..." He winked suggestively, and Sasuke heard a sputter from behind him. Him? He was used to it. "Activities. Night, Sasuke! Shin!" And the silver haired man disappeared from sight, leaving a sputtering Shin and a peeved Uchiha in his wake.

"What an _ass! _AND a pervert!" The teen crossed his arms with a frown, shaking his hair like a dog. The dark-eyed boy threw him a perturbed glare, though it didn't effect Shin in the least. Fools didn't catch colds, so he obviously wouldn't freeze at the Uchiha's ice-cold stare, would he?

The sole survivor of the Uchiha clan resisted the urge to rub his temples and sigh, because this was _another _thing a Uchiha Did Not Do. It turns out, Uchiha's Did Not Do A lot of Things.

"Go get dressed. We'll go buy you're things." He finally settled with the impassive voice and face that he used everyday, and Shin grinned and nodded. And gave a very good impression of an excited girl.

Though, Sasuke wasn't sure it was an impression at all.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Another thing that turned out:

Shin was **_VERY_** (capital letters, bold, underline, _italic!) _exhausting to shop with.

VERY exhausting.

Sasuke would not wish shopping with Shin on his worst enemy. He wouldn't wish it on Itachi, Orochimaru, Gaara, Lee, or all of Akatsuki combined.

He had found out, in the span of 7 grueling hours, that Shin was a very picky dresser. He had also found out that Shin also had a Very Good Stamina.

Stamina was good if your were a Shinobi of any kind. Stamina was good for running. Stamina was good for sports. But for shopping?

Stamina was a very _bad _thing.

So he was glad he didn't have to endure anymore stamina when he got home, as he dumped all of the 18 something large bags in front of the owners' room, and proceeded to make way to his room.

After all, what kind of stamina did he have if he couldn't stand a little shopping? And he, Uchiha Sasuke, was not one to lay around panting. So he tugged off his shirt (Which was not, by the way, soaked with sweat. The idiot over there had spilled Sprite all over him. Idiot.) and pulled a new one over, grumbling silently the whole way.

He needed a shower.

"Hey Sasu-ke!"

He looked behind him in annoyance, to the boy leaning on the doorframe. "What?" It was obvious how annoyed he was, but...Obviously, Shin didn't notice. Or ignored it.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Food."

"What kind of food?

"Edible food."

"What kind of edible food!?" Sasuke was enjoying the displeased tone accompanying the otherwise annoying voice.

"Good edible food."

Shin threw his hands up, and he would have laughed, if he was the kind of person who laughed. As it was, all he could do was smirk.

"You're so freakin' fastidious!"

"Big word. Look it up in the dictionary?"

"...So?" At the Anbu leaders amused look, he shot him a glare. An ineffective glare, since Sasuke was still smirking. "Shut up! I'm smarter then you think I am!"

"You pick." "Huh?"

Wide green eyes blinked at Sasuke, and the owner of said eyes scratched his head, looking for all he was worth confused.

"Are you retarded on purpose? You pick what we're going to have for supper." He snorted softly, bending down to pull of his shoes.

"No! And ok...We're going to have..." There was a long pause, before the same voice piped up. "Domburi (1), Yakizakana (2), and Yakitori (3), and....ice-cream for dessert." Shin looked pleased with himself, eyes squinted in half moons, the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth. Sasuke stared.

"So what do you think?"

"I think we don't have all the supplies needed for everything you plan on making."

"It's why I'll go shopping!" He could still _shop_? "I'll just go! You can sit here and rest if you want! Seeya later, Sasuke!" Shin grabbed his jacket, and was gone in less then a minute.

And for the first time in a couple days, the house was silent. So Sasuke thanked whichever God was available. Then, he sat down to read 'Foreign Chakra and its' limits'.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

'_The dinner he made was actually pretty good. The best meal I've had in awhile.' _Was the first thought that entered Sasuke's mind when he laid down, stomach full for the first time in months. It had been _fabulous _to be honest. It wasn't burnt, or undercooked, and there was just the right amount of spices. What bugged him, was how did Shin know how to cook such a wonderful meal?

He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to sleep for once, for his body and mind were aching with a somnolence, and the activities of the day, even though he didn't want to admit it, made him tired beyond belief.

So Sasuke slept.

_O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O._

"_Hey! Sasu-chan!" A cheeky voice cut through his thoughts, stopping him through mid-training. He turned to the ball of energy bounding towards him, and gave a small smile._

"_Don't call me Sasu-chan, Dobe." The blonde in front of him crossed his arms, pouting. "That's not a real nice greeting, Sasu-chan." He let it go. Naruto never would learn._

"_So what are you here for?" It wasn't that he didn't want Naruto there. He preferred the blue-eyed distraction to be there, just for the fact (as much as he didn't want to admit it) that this boy was his best friend._

"_What?! I can't visit my _friend _anymore!?" He chuckled when Naruto put on a mock-offended face, but he watched Naruto's face the whole time, noting the lingering...something in his eyes. Something was bothering him._

"_What's wrong, Dobe?" _

"_You never miss a beat, do you Uchiha?" Blue eyes rolled at him, but they didn't contain the fake-happiness they previously held. The sarcastic expression slipped off his face, and all that was left was a troubled face. "Can I ask you a question?"_

'_You just did.' was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed that reply, because if he said it, this fragile connection would be broken, and Naruto would make up some stupid thing about Sakura. "Mhm."_

"_Surprised you didn't say, 'You just did'," Naruto knew him to well. "Um...But...This is difficult to say!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "But...would you miss me if I were gone?" Blue-eyes looked up at him shyly from below his eyelashes, and he resisted the urge to smile slightly. _

"_You're my best friend." He didn't want tot answer the question. He wasn't an emotional person._

_"Answer the question, Sasuke!"_

"_Yeah. I would." Now that had been hard to say. Why did he feel weird when he said that?_

_Looking down at Naruto's pleased expression, he thought it was worth it._

_"Thanks, Sasu-chan!" And then he did the most unexpected thing._

_Naruto leaned up, standing on the tips of his toes and balancing himself by holding onto Sasuke's shoulder, and kissed Sasuke on the cheek. Dark eyes were slightly round when the blonde boy pulled away, a blush on his face._

_"Good-bye, Sasu-chan!" Sasuke lifted a pale hand to his cheek as he watched Naruto run off in amazement. _

_The last thing he saw was his best friend being engulfed by flames.  
_

_O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O._

Sasuke woke up with a small sweat, and he threw his blankets off, pressing his forehead to his knees. The end had been the worst yet...

Why was he dreaming of Naruto? Again? The last time had been months ago... It had taken him 1 and a half years to stop dreaming about Naruto. Why did it have to start now?

He still missed Naruto, that much was obvious. Even if he didn't consider Naruto his _friend _anymore, that didn't necessarily mean he didn't _miss _him. No. Naruto wasn't his friend at all, at all.

He should have realized that Naruto was leaving! There was so much _evidence. _The question, his troubled face, the _kiss. _There had been one major clue, that he should have been able to pick up, even as a Genin.

Never, in all the time had he known Naruto, had he said, "Good-bye."

Good-bye, according to Naruto, was the most final farewell.

One question plagued him, though.

Why was he dreaming of the last time he had seen Naruto?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The black-haired Uchiha padded towards the bathroom, rubbing his eyes of the sleep that had taken residence there. 6:47 in the morning. He'd woken up late.

Soft _thunks _were made every time Sasuke's feet hit the carpet, and he made his way to the bathroom...Only to find it locked. He groaned and knocked, waiting for the door to open.

"What?" Shin's perturbed voice cut through the silence that was the Uchiha household, and Sasuke sighed.

"When will you be done?"

"I'm having a shower, quick here." He said it as if it was the most obvious answer, and he resisted the urge to drop his forehead to the door.

"Hurry up. We have to meet Hyuuga in 2 hours, and I still need a shower myself. And pass me my housecoat."

"Alright, alright! Sheesh Sasuke." Blue eyes peaked out of a crack in the door, and the teen on the other side threw him his housecoat, before slamming it quickly. Sleepily, Sasuke made his way down the den, trying not to curl up in the chair and fall asleep right there.

Instead, he sat on the floor, starting his customary 'Wake-up' sit-ups. And now Sasuke could think clearly, and then, a thought struck him with a violent force.

Had Shin's eyes been _blue? _

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

WHOO! DONE!!!! XD!!! FINALLY!!! ...I'm celebrating. Can't you tell? Boo. On you. XD FINALLY! FINALLY! FINALLY! I got my computer back XD Can I write fast or what?

Not as much as I would have like to write, but I wanted to write you guys something! XD; Better late then never? Eh heh...heh...On to the notes!

(1): A bowl of cooked rice with some other food put on top of the rice. Some of the most popular toppings are tempura (tendon), egg and chicken (oyakodon), tonkatsu (katsudon) and beef (gyudon).

(2): Yakizakana means grilled fish. Many varieties of fish are enjoyed in this way.

(3): Yakitori are grilled chicken pieces on skewers. Most parts of the chicken can be used for yakitori.

There! XD All the yummeh Japanese foods Shin can cook. Mwarharhar.

And...I can't answer everyone's reviews ;; I've been advised not to XD;;; Wai! I wish I could! I would if I could but I can't! XD Ha! Gnaw on THAT one for abit!

...Ain't the button just waiting to be clicked? Click the button. You know you waaaaaaaaaaaaaaant it XD


	6. Of Theories and Eyes

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WH00T! I've updated A LOT sooner then last time, huh?! XD! YAY! Naki actually updated?! -GASP- I'm improving...slowly. Give me time. Grrr. XD  
  
**Notes:** ...lmao. 2 people caught on to the Neji thing. XD BWARHARHAR! Was it a mistake by Kitty? Or...was it in there on PURPOSE?! XD You will never know....Or maybe you will. Man... Someone guessed so close to the secret of this whole thing it scared me O.O

/././././ Marks a flashback.  
OoO Marks the changes of a scene.

All the other regular markings apply here as well.

ItaNaru will be in the future! Sorry, fans!  
  
**Shounen-ai HINTS! ...**So far. There will be shounen-ai in the future and maybe...-GASP- Yaoi!?.. Maybe not. Oh ho ho.  
  
Dedicated too: Everyone!  
  
XD: My beta, Beth, and my twin!  
  
**Warnings:** Boys smooching each other. Eventually. Maybe lil' hints thus far, but nothing graphic yet! You'll know when things get graphic! X3! SasuNaruSasu, ItaNaru in the future.  
**  
****Disclaimer:** I dun own anything except a few pretty pennies. So there...I own this version of Shin too XP And the plot. They count as pennies.

__

_Bunraku:_ A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show  
  
**_Bunraku_**  
  
_It's sometimes just like sleeping, __  
__Curling up inside my private tortures. __  
__I nestle into pain, __  
__hug suffering, __  
__caress every ache. __  
  
__I play dead. __  
__It stops the hurting. __  
__I play dead, __  
__and hurting stops. __  
  
__-Play Dead, Bjork_

_

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_

_Dai 6-Ka: **Of Theories and Eyes**_

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Sasuke watched Shin warily, the boy moving around the kitchen in a flurry of energy. The question still waited on his tongue, and he wanted to ask it as soon as he had discovered its existence. That would mean he had no tact though, and he had to plan out everything carefully. He absolutely had to ask at the right moment.  
  
The boy that had been making breakfast stopped in the middle of the room, his hands curling into small fists and rubbing his eyes furiously, as if there was something in them.  
  
This, Sasuke decided, was the exact right moment.  
  
"What happened? Took out your contacts wrong?"  
  
Shin looked up, one green eye still covered by the small fist, other looking at him in surprise. "Y..Naw. Y-Naw." Even the black-haired boy had to admit that had been a stupid mistake. And the attempt at covering it up had been even worse.  
  
"Why do you have blue eyes?" Cobalt eyes stared over the rim of the cup he was currently holding, before he took a sip. His eyes never left the standing boy.  
  
The teen sighed, throwing his hands up before pulling a chair out across from Sasuke, plopping down in it and resting his elbows on the oak table. "I don't. I barely ever wear 'blue eyes'!"  
  
"I saw them this morning!" A protesting tone, because Sasuke wasn't crazy, God Forbid! He was in perfect mental -and physical- condition.  
  
"Those," He emphasized the word (Even the young prodigy could hear the underline); eyes turned into thin slits and chin resting in his cradled hands, "were contacts."  
  
"Prove it." If he were more childish, a kid before he was an adult, Sasuke would have thought that what had just spewed from his mouth was some sort of challenge.  
  
The green (blue?)-eyed boy threw up his hands in exasperation (a gesture he seemed to make quite often when Sasuke was involved) and stood up. He winced when he heard one too many bones pop and crack, but continued to his room anyway, completely ignoring the fact that the food he had cooked would go to waste.  
  
Sasuke followed, for the simple fact that he did want Shin to prove this certain thing to him. The shade of blue that he had seen this morning was the shade that had haunted his dreams previously, the shade of blue caught between the sky and the sea and the sun. The shade of Naruto's eyes. The shade he loathed and liked.  
  
He shook his head clear of wandering thoughts; instead intent on following Shin's muffled footsteps.  
  
He stopped when Shin stopped, recognizing the room immediately as the guest room that he had shown (and, inexplicably, given) him. He resisted the urge to laugh at the crude sign tacked on the dark wood of the door.  
  
ShIn'S RoOm. If YoU sTaY oUt, He'Ll GiVe YoU a CoOkIe!!!  
  
What an idiot.  
  
If the other teen noticed Sasuke amusement, he didn't show it. Instead, he opted for pushing open the (what seemed to be) heavy door, stepping over the things strewn across his path as an acquired habit.  
  
When Sasuke seen this particular room, he swore that he felt his eye twitch.  
  
Every. Single. Frickin'. Empty. Space had been taken up either by garbage, a piece of clothing, or some unidentifiable object.  
  
There was something written on both mirrors visible (in what, Sasuke didn't want to know). The covers of the bed looked like they had been torn off in a frantic attempt at... something. The closet door was broken, and in fact, hanging off one very desolate looking hinge. There were clothes draped all over the door and everything else was as if they were curtains. The once pure white plush rug was now stained with what looked like... pizza stains? So that would explain the 3 or so boxes strewn across the room, two in front of the small T.V. There were also several of Sasuke's good glasses sitting on various stands in the chaotically disturbed room, one with a chip in it that made Sasuke want to smash it over Shin's pretty little head.  
  
And Sasuke didn't even have to check the drawers to know that there were no clothes in them.  
  
He didn't even want to see the bathroom.  
  
But, Sasuke, being the brave soul he was, slipped (stepped, stumbled, and every other word that could mean to hurt your-self making way across a room) towards the white door that represented the entrance to the probably just as hectic bathroom.  
  
What Sasuke saw, disturbed him.  
  
The bathroom was flawless, spotless, and immaculately clean.  
  
The sinks were still white, as was the tub and the toilet. None of the light bulbs were broken, there were no flecks of anything on the mirror, and all of Shin's things were in a neat little row in the cupboard.  
  
He barely noticed when said teen shoved past him, leaning toward the mirror with one finger stretched in front of him.  
  
Now this was a rather odd gesture (concerning Sasuke). He looked like he was pointing at himself in the mirror, face screwed up but eyes wide.  
  
And then Shin poked himself in the eye.  
  
Now, if Sasuke had been a girl, or a girly guy, he would have immediately thought something along the lines of, "Ew." But Sasuke was not a girl. He just found this particular action weird in itself. Who would willingly poke themselves in the eye? Even to him, having something in his eye annoyed him.  
  
He knew the reason as soon as Shin turned to him though. The explanation was that the eye that that guy had just poked was blue, the other being a bright, vivid green. It looked quite surreal, and struck Sasuke as odd. At least... Now he knew that Shin had not been lying.  
  
Sasuke leaned forward until his nose was almost touching Shin's, cobalt eyes staring into green and blue ones. He shifted his concentration to the green eye. Slowly, black faded into red, spinning into the trademark eye that all Uchiha's were famous -or infamous, depending on your view- for.  
  
He pulled back a moment later, red eyes gone as soon as they had come. He scowled at the triumphantly smirking teen in front of him, instead of walking out.  
  
"Be ready in 10 minutes, baka. We're late as it is."

OoO

Twenty minutes later, Sasuke Uchiha developed a tick.  
  
It was quite annoying to try and keep himself under control. And obviously, even more annoying was the cause of it. Hadn't he told Shin to be ready in 10 minutes? Not 'wait 10 minutes then start to get ready so I can piss Sasuke off'. Definitely not that. So he had enough. He was far too annoyed to wait around for another 20 minutes. They were 10 minutes late as it was. At this rate, they were going to be an hour or so late.  
  
He padded up the stairs, scowl fixed on his face and hand gripping the rail (Apparently, Sasuke's knuckles couldn't get any paler, gripping the banister and staying the same color as they were). Reluctantly, his fingers curled away from the poor wood, feet taking him to the room he had visited 23 minutes and 46 seconds ago.  
  
Sasuke didn't even bother to knock. Why should he? It was his house. He just pushed open the door, and he kind of wished he hadn't. Had he entered the twilight zone?  
  
Everything was clean. The bed was made, the mirrors were speck-free, the rug was returned to its original white and clean state, the lampshades had nothing draped over them, the boxes were in the garbage, and the glasses were neatly on the table. And a shirtless Shin was busy folding the clothes and putting them back in the drawer. The only thing out of place were the cleaning supplies sitting on the counter, and even those were in neat rows. His eyes wandered over the room, wary of any tricks that Shin might pull.  
  
"You did this all by yourself?" This time, Sasuke couldn't even make it out to be his usual 'statement-not-a-question' tone. He was far too baffled for that.  
  
His voice made the other black-haired boy jump, but he continued to do his work, and Sasuke could almost feel the small smile playing across his face. "Yup. Sasuke looked pretty pissed when he saw my room, so I cleaned it up for him! Is it ok?"  
  
Sasuke made a small noise of acknowledgement in the back of his throat, but he had barely heard Shin. He was too busy staring.  
  
On the other boys' back was... something. It looked like a scar, because he could see the tiny upraised ridges that happened whenever someone got cut that deeply but... It was colored in. Like a tattoo drawn inside of a scar, but that tattoo was perfectly filling out the scar's shape... It was a tipped-over cross, so much that it looked like it was on its side. Connected to the top of the cross was a crescent moon, the ends nearly touching but not quite. And an arrow was on the bottom, pointing in a random direction that made him want to look to where it was beckoning him too, but his eyes were to busy being distracted by the mark itself.  
  
"...You have a tattoo on your back." It was a statement now, because he was too amazed to make it a question.  
  
"I do." A statement and it sounded so calm that it made Sasuke's eyes turn up from their staring to the owners' face. Why didn't he sound surprised? Shin must have read the look on his face, because he grinned sheepishly, tugging a shirt over his head.  
  
"When you have amnesia..." It was muffled, because of the fabric over his head, "You try and find out everything about yourself..." It was clearer now, because Shin had gotten his head through. "So I started by looking at myself. I found out I had it at the old lady's house. Should I have told you?" He looked genuinely apologetic, and Sasuke sighed.  
  
"Yes. You should have. Now be downstairs in 10 minutes. And for God's sake, brush you hair." With that, Sasuke left to Shin's laugh.

  
OoO

He was going to go up there. God help Shin if he had to go up there. It would be one of the ugliest scenes anybody in the history of Konoha had to face if he had to go up there. Shin would be de-  
  
"Hey Sasuke!" He ran down the stairs, a wide grin on his face. The grin disappeared as soon as he saw Sasuke. "Ah... I didn't know you had a tic problem..."  
  
"I don't." One could almost hear his teeth grinding together in an attempt to not reach over and smack the boy across from him, "Now... Hurry Up." Overcast eyes watched Shin stumble to tie his shoes, and accidentally trip, landing against the wall with a 'thud'. "Are you really this stupid, baka? Are you sure there was no brain damage?"  
  
"No, I'm not sure, because I haven't been checked yet, Sasu-chan. Now-" Shin was up against the wall before he could finish.  
  
"Not Sasu-chan. You cannot call me Sasu-chan." There was an underlying edge to Sasuke's soft tone, one that was barely heard. His quiet voice was deadly enough, and it could strike fear in the hearts of most. "I hate that name." He saw something in the green eyes before him, a flash of...something. He couldn't describe it.  
  
It didn't send shivers down his back. It didn't.  
  
Shin's eyes were back again. Back to normal.  
  
"Woah! You have a problem? Talk about over-reactive!" His haughty voice cut through the silence tailing the Uchiha's words, and he scowled at the unnaturally calm face before him. "Now get your knee out from between my legs, and get your hands off my shoulders. I feel like I'm being molested or something!" Only now did Sasuke notice the position that he had undoubtedly gotten them in, and he hurriedly removed himself, walking jerkily over to the door.  
  
"Come on. We're going to need a good explanation to give Hyuuga." A frown was fixated on his face, and it was the most natural look for him.

  
OoO

"Hyuuga-san."

"Uchiha-sama."  
  
They bowed stiffly, politely to each other, a customary greeting that was played out inexplicably well.  
  
"You do know the details of this particular 'mission', right?" The word 'mission' was said with a note of wit, but gave the impression of being humorless. Ah, hence was the path of cold bishonen.  
  
"I do." Neji's voice had the same tone, but he looked more amused than Sasuke. "And where would my charge be?" Now, he noticed that Shin was... hiding behind him.  
  
Sasuke could feel his tic coming back.  
  
"Hiding behind me." A dry, but annoyed response as he sidestepped the boy behind him, who looked sheepish.  
  
"Ah... Sorry. But..." Shin threw his hands up, still embarrassed but at least more open, "How come everyone in this damn village has the freaky eyes going on?!" They both stared at him, and he stared back. "I mean, Uchiha right there has the red swirling spirals going for him (Sasuke was quite offended hearing the Mengakyou Sharingan being called 'the red swirling eye spirals'), and you!" He pointed a finger at Neji, as if accusing him of something. "You have no pupils to speak of!"  
  
"..." All the long-haired boy did was arch an eyebrow at him.  
  
"...You look so scary when you stare at someone, you know that?"  
  
"I do now." Neji turned his 'freaky eyes' to meet Sasuke's black ones. "I have to keep him under control until 9 tonight?" Sasuke nodded, entertaining the thought of just leaving Shin with Neji for the entire night.  
  
Neji held in a sigh. "Easier said then done."

  
OoO

"Hey Saaaaasuuuuuuu-keeeeeeee!" A whiny voice rang through the air of the silent house, and Sasuke smothered a groan. Nine O'clock had come entirely too soon. He was used to the silence that accompanied him.  
  
"Guess what?!" He skidded into the room where the unfortunate Uchiha was, a wide grin on his face. Sasuke stared at his teeth. Was his mouth bleeding? "I said guess what!" Sasuke jerked his gaze up to Shin's face.  
  
"What?" The prodigy's slow drawl was dragged out with sarcasm.  
  
"I got my tongue pierced." Sasuke's surprised gaze caused an even wider grin from Shin. "Yeah! Isn't it cool?! Neji even paid for it!"  
  
"I stand by my earlier statement of 'You're an idiot.'." Shin pouted, crossing his arms. "Did you blackmail Hyuuga?"  
  
The green-eyed boy stuck his tongue out at the disbelieved sitting at the table. "For your info, I'm not an idiot. And I didn't blackmail anyone! I just asked, and he shrugged and said sure!"  
  
Obviously, Sasuke didn't believe a word of it.  
  
Shin held a hand to his heart. "I swear on all my relatives' graves that I'm not lying!"  
  
"You don't remember any of your relatives."  
  
"...You suck, Sasuke. I'm going to make a snack for myself. Want some?"  
  
"...Sure." The black-haired Uchiha rubbed his temples when the other teen padded out of the room, and he twitched when he heard a myriad of noises (specifically, what sounded like pots crashing down, and a surprised yelp) come from the kitchen.  
  
He really needed to get his this tic checked out.

  
OoO

Sasuke lied in his bed, eyes staring around the dark room. Today had been eventful. He didn't particularly like this sort of eventful.  
  
Times of war weren't the best kind of thing to witness, as a 16-year old boy. Even worse, he was on the front lines as much as he could be put on. The deaths' didn't bother him. He'd be fine if he wasn't the one committing the mass murders. The worst thing was that some of the more cowardly countries were putting children on the front line.  
  
Children.  
  
Not some genius children like Shikamaru or Neji or himself. The kind of children that looked frightened, and only knew the basic Jutsus. The kind of children that were useless in battle.  
  
His thoughts drifted towards the darker parts of his mind, and his eyes slipped shut.

Bored eyes watched as pale fingers flipped through each of the brittle pages, taking in the words without realizing what they meant. His gaze wandered out of the window, and he was thankful that this particular room had a window seat.  
  
It was really dark. He could see the outlines of things... Well, no wonder it was dark. It had been raining the past couple of nights. Even though there was no rain coming down at the moment, the clouds still covered the moon. There were virtually no stars either.  
  
He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye, and he followed where he had seen it. Brows knotted in confusion.  
  
Who'd be out so late at night?  
  
He could only see the silhouette of the person. All he knew for sure is that it was a short boy... Why would a kid be out this late at night? Judging by his height he wasn't much older then himself.  
  
Ah, it wasn't his problem.  
  
The genin stretched, deciding to sleep early, and wake up early. He was tired, and maybe he could just do a minor workout before bed this time... He sighed, slipping off his perch at the windowsill and making his way out of the room.  
  
Maybe he'd get Naruto to spar with him tomorrow. April 2nd was their day off.

**_

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_**

**_Dai 6-Ka: Owarita Desu.

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_**

_**  
**_

WHOO! Finally done! And I finished a lot sooner then later!!! Who's proud of me?!... Well....I'm proud of myself. XD So boo on you. Or not. I LUFF MY REVIEWERS!  
  
Notes: M'sorry T.T This stories going to slow, huh? Well...maybe that my plan? XD;; Eh heh...Every chapter seems to be fillers, huh?  
  
Anyways! I know for a fact this chapter is confusing! I'm confused MYSELF....Well...no...I'm not. It's my story. But I promise, I'll try and clear it up!  
  
...Smells like Plot Holes.

Editor's note: Cat finished this chapter a long long time ago, but my lazy ass, and my stupid schoolwork, have kept me away from finishing my editing job. I am deeply sorry.

Well, now for a poll!  
  
Who's your favorite Naruto pairing (besides SasuNaruSasu)?  
  
I want to know, reviewers! For...future references XD You'll see...And I promise I'll get to the good stuff soon!  
  
Well...that's all I have to say.  
  
I'll be back, baby.  
  
...I'm sorry. I bet that hurt you all.  
  
...Please Review? XD 


	7. Of injuries and symbolism

YAY! I'm starting! Finally! Anybody happy? Huh? Huh?

…X3 But…yeah. I'm sure you all wanna know I made the Senior Basketball team. So…Which means less updating. Someone kill my basketball coach…XD Nah, I'm joking with ya!

****

Notes: Holy FRUIT! I made 100 reviews! Someone pinch me, I'm dreaming! I didn't even expect to get _50 _reviews. Who ever thought 100?! ARIGATOU minna-san! I wouldn't be continuing this without you!

**Dedicated to: **ALL of my reviewers! You guys rock!

**XD:** HeeroTomoe! You're my hundredth reviewer! -hands numerous things meaning Sankyuu!- My beta, Beth! Because none of you would read this without her X3 And…Ali! Because she helped me get the courage to write on the net XD Oh! And Jeans-chaan, because she's such a cool friend!

**Warnings:** Guys. And Guys. Doing stuff that is unacceptable in modern society (do we care? Noooo.) SasuNaruSasu, ItaNaru in THE FUTURE!

**Disclaimer:** As I've said (and dreamed) numerous times, if I owned Naruto, they'd be doing the things mentioned in the warning above. So Nyaa to you, because I don't. Come to think of it, if I owned it, nobody would read it XD

**_Bunraku:_ **A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show

**Bunraku**

__

Awaken to a light of knowing,  
all your truth was lies,  
and the faith which you embraced  
has left you blind.  
Deceived like the fools that surround you,  
it came with ease unfulfilled were the days of your being,  
but now you will see.

Awaken to see  
a god of a desertion,  
Awaken to see

a god of lies.

-At One With Nothing, Angel Morbid.

  
_Mreow, Mreow, Mreow…._

Sasuke's face gave a twitch, tensing from it's relaxed position not two seconds before. What was that _annoying _noise? It sounded like a _cat. _This was impossible, just for the simple fact that the Uchiha hated cats(1). Irritating and selfish creatures, he'd had one when he was a kid. Damn thing scratched him. Of course, the vile thing liked _Itachi. _Nasty things stuck together, didn't they?

Dark eyes opened, feeling particularly sluggish. Going from ½ an hour of sleep a day too 8 hours obviously wasn't _good _for him. To top it off, he felt useless. Surely, an ANBU leader wasn't to be lowered to this menial task? To observe and detain an idiot like this one?

While he'd been thinking, the black-haired boy had gotten up and stretched, hearing the chorus of noises that meant his bones were popping back into place after the rest. He padded over to the drawers, pulling on a pair of pants over his boxers. He shivered, because morning always seemed to hold a chilly air to it.

_Mreow, Mreow, Mreow…_

His head snapped up, eyes flicking towards the door and various other spots in his spotless room. Oh yeah. The thing that had woken him up (even if he was glad it had). Where the hell was the cat? He knew for a fact that there was no way a cat could get in his mini-mansion, for the simple fact of the traps set up all around the house (he wondered vaguely if something had set them off. He hadn't checked them before he'd gone to bed). _Nothing _could usually survive the traps. He'd never had a hard time, of course.

He strode over to the window over his headboard, gazing around the walkway leading up to the door. No, it obviously wasn't in the front. He didn't see any carcasses.

He checked one last time before making his way to the hall, opening and closing all the doors as to not scare the animal. He wanted to _catch _the damn thing. He _hated _cats.

_Mreow, Mreow, Mreow, sssh!_

Sasuke cocked a brow. Sssh? Cats didn't 'sssh'. Well, at least not in Konoha. Maybe in another universe, but not his universe.

He scanned the room his feet had led him too, eyes rolling when he realized that yes, the room was void of a certain idiot. And yes, that was _cat _food that was in the corner, half-hidden under a dirty shirt. So Shin was keeping a cat without his permission? Maybe, hopefully, the Hokage would _finally _see how much this idiot could cause no harm?

Carefully, silently he made his way towards the meowing that happened every few seconds, sometimes he had to stop and listen, but that was o.k. It wasn't like this was a mission. He didn't have to try, did he?

A few minutes later, Sasuke's blood was getting colder with each step he took. He could feel himself freezing up, but why was he so _hot? _It didn't make sense. His skin was cold but…he was _burning_.

Sasuke stopped in front of the large doors, not wanting to even go near them. He wanted to turn back, and run and never see these horrid gates to hell _ever again. _These doors…opening these doors made him what he was today.

He _loathed _them.

He didn't want to open these…They gave him nightmares. He fought back what could have been a whimper, but ended up being a low growl at the back of his throat. It was a feral sound, moving the still air around him. Even the cat had stopped meowing, but he doubted he'd have been able to hear it anyways. All he could hear was the sound rushing in his ears, blocking even the famous _Sharingan _from seeing anything but red.

_Itachi…Was in the doorway…Itachi looked startled to see Sasuke out there…Sasuke was a little boy again, but Sasuke was all grown up, and now he could beat Itachi. Now Itachi looked apologetic. For killing their parents, maybe? No…Itachi couldn't be sorry. Itachi was a cold-hearted _bastard.

_He launched himself at Itachi. This is what he was destined for. Get Itachi. Get him, get him, get him, GET HIM!_

His fevered thoughts reached his eyes, and he watched in satisfaction at Itachi's surprise to see Little Sasuke rushing at him, kunai in hand. He grinned in satisfaction as he felt the butt of the weapon connect with bone.

…With bone?

Red eyes looked into the pair across from him, furious that Itachi had blocked such a blow with his arm. He wanted to get his head -his HEAD-, not his arm! Break the arm, get it out of the way, out of the way!

The Uchiha threw another punch, and another one, and how come Itachi could block them all? He'd connected with nothing but blocks. It made him angrier, more livid, MADDENED! He had to get him. He needed to settle this savageness that was twisting his insides together. He needed it.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!" How come that bastard was speaking his name? Kill him. It'd teach him.

_He threw his whole body into this attack. This one attack. As he flew towards Itachi, something registered. He wished he could stop._

Why was Itachi wearing pajama's? Why were Itachi's eyes green? Why was Itachi not going to be in time to stop this attack?

Why, why, why?

'Stop! I need to stop!' These frantic single thoughts broke through his mind, but before it was too late. He only realized now that this was Shin, not Itachi. The word 'stop' only registered in his brain after he heard a crack, then what sounded like a shattering. What happened? Where was he?

He looked down, to the boy slumped on the ground wincing. His eyes widened a fraction when he took in the blood under Shin, the old mixing with the new. The old…It was from his parents. That night. He fought for control over his panicked thoughts, satisfied when the frenzy in his head calmed. Now, who was the new blood from?

His question was answered when he looked down, where Shin was trying desperately not to cry (he guessed), wincing and tying the bloody pants around his knee as some sort of a tourniquet. "Ah… Sasuke ….What was that?" It sounded faint, quiet but urgent all the same. "Could you help me…I can't stand." This last part was much more strained, the part where Shin couldn't stop the pain from slipping under his tone. He illustrated his point by leaning on his good knee, testing his bloody one to see if he could stand. Less then a second later, he collapsed. Guess not.

How the hell had that idiot managed to hurt himself to this extent? He voiced this question, in a tone that insinuated that Shin was stupid, but he knew it hurt. "How did you get that?" Sasuke's quiet voice made Shin pause in his shallow-breathing, and he looked at the dark-eyed boy in disbelief.

"Are you serious?" At Sasuke's blank look, he shook his head astonishment, seemingly disappointed. "_You _did this Sasuke!" He looked surprised, and Sasuke had the same look. He closed his eyes as he helped Shin to his feet, trying to remember what had just happened.

He'd just _blacked out. _How could he have attacked Shin? The last thing he remembered was…The gates. The door. Was he in them? Why was he in them? He didn't want to be in here! The walls were closing in on him. They were, he could tell. He closed his eyes, willing the walls to widen. What kind of jutsu was this?!

Sasuke stumbled, disturbing the weight leaning on him. He hadn't been in this room since that night. He didn't want to be in here! He'd vowed to burn down this room after he killed Itachi…

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Yo! Wake up!" The annoyance cut through his thoughts, and he discovered he'd stumbled out of that room. Somehow. How?

Only then did he notice that _he _was leaning on Shin. And Shin was panting heavily. Shin was standing on both legs. And Shin seemed to be in pain.

Sasuke took it upon himself to relieve Shin of the weight that was him, and he pulled him up, slinging his arm around his waist. Why couldn't he bring himself to say sorry? Two syllables. 5 letters. 3 consonants and 2 vowels.

He sighed and shook his head. He was out of practice.

"Sor…Shin, let's go. I'll take you to the hospital." He still couldn't believe he'd done that. Since when did a ninja injure his charge? This…this was dishonorable. You didn't just suddenly _attack _the person you're looking after! He could be _demoted _for this! Then he could never defeat Itachi! What if…

A high voice interrupted his thoughts. Maybe it got higher the more pain you were in? "S'ok, Sasuke. I'll say I fell down the stairs or something equally stupid. They'll believe me!" Slightly wider eyes stared at Shin. How had he known what he was thinking?

"…You're eyebrows were furrowed together." Shin sounded like that simple sentence could explain the world.

"…" He'd deal with it later. Right now, Shin was in pain, and even if he tried to hide it, it wasn't working.

The rest of the walk to the hospital was silent.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Hey Sasuke-ku-Oh!" The nurse stared at the her crushes companions knee, surprised beyond relief. "Are you…Stupid question. Can you follow me?" Simultaneously, they nodded. Shin leaned heavily on Sasuke, and he tilted his head so his breath was ghosting over Sasuke's neck.

"You owe me a _thousand _favors for this." He could feel Shin grin after these words, and he nodded.

He did _not _just shiver.

"Right this way. We'll be with you in a momen-"

"Get a doctor here in more then a 'moment'. If he's not here in less then 2 minutes, I'll personally escort him." He'd cut her off, and she made a face at him. "I saw that. Hurry up before I do your job for you." She sighed, and nodded. Seconds later, she was gone.

"Jesus you're an ass, you know that?" He turned to Shin, who was sitting on the table, his good knee tucked to his chest. "There's words like 'please' and 'thank-you' that were invented you know. They'd under 'good manners'."

"Maybe I just don't care," his attitude was iced over, and he glared with slanted eyes at the person who caused this change in mood. "Besides, a _moment _to the doctors here is an _hour _to normal people and a _day _to a shinobi." He turned his eyes upwards, noting with disgust that the ceiling was dirty.

He heard Shin mumble under his breathe. Minutes later, the doctor arrived. "Gomen nasai, Sasuke-kun. I believe I was 10 seconds over two minutes." The doctor had an amused look as he set his gaze on Sasuke, then Shin.

"For all you know, Hinshi-san(2), he could have been dead by the time we got here." His voice detained a cool quality to it, and he stared as the 'doctor' walked over to Shin, who was now biting his lip. The white-haired doctor pointedly ignored it.

"I heard you were being rude to one of my nurses?" After he checked Shin's heart, he looked at his knee. "How did you get such a wound, anyways? I understand you're not a shinobi."

Shin was about to answer, but the doctor had stuck his finger in the large cut in Shin's knee.

Disgusting.

_'Shin must have a shattered knee-cap,' _was the distant thought that slipped into Sasuke's head. He remembered a couple of years ago, he'd done the exact same thing. And the doctor had done the exact same thing. It hurt like _hell._

Though, he'd never admit it.

The peculiar thing, Shin's facial expression hadn't changed. When he'd been in his situation, he'd had a blank look on his face. When the doctor had done _that _though, he was ashamed to admit that he'd made a small exclamation of pain.

Shin just looked like he was concentrating on what the doctor was doing.

"Shattered kneecap." Hinshi made his diagnosis after awhile, and turned so he was facing both Sasuke and the shorter teen. "You'll have to stay here for awhile, alright? We'll set your operation for about…A week from now?"

Shin nodded, then sighed. "Man, the first year I remember isn't even _over _yet, and I already get surgery." Sasuke suppressed a laugh, and Hinshi looked strangely at both of them.

"Could you get one ANBU guarding one of the other patients to come and stay with him for 10 minutes, Hinshi-san? I have to inform Hyuuga-san of these events." Hinshi nodded, and in an instant, Sasuke disappeared.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"So he injured himself falling down the stairs?" Neji's face remained impassive, but he voiced his surprise all the same. "How did he manage _that_?"

"I really don't want to know." Sasuke spoke wryly as they walked toward the wing that their 'watch' was kept in.

Neji would have sighed. Instead, he rubbed his temples. "Let me get this straight. They want two of their strongest -and _youngest_- ANBU to watch someone who shatters his kneecap falling down the stairs?"

Sasuke nodded. Keeping a straight face was part of the requirements to being a good ANBU.

They stopped in front of Shin's room, and they turned to each other. "You know you better come back early. About 3 hours early." The white-eyed teen had his hand on the doorknob.

"Why?" He wasn't going to come back 3 hours early because Hyuuga told him too. He was the ANBU leader, _not _Neji.

"Because that's how long I had to wait, Uchiha-san." He glared as Neji tilted his head to him, in a mock form of politeness. "Have a good time, Uchiha-san." Then he opened the door, and he was gone.

Sasuke glared at the door.

Ass.

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"Hey Sasuuke!" 3 hours early. Dear lord did he hate it. Not only did he not finish as much work training his new squad as he would have liked, but now he had to walk into the hospital room to this annoying voice?

Sasuke might as well get his tick checked out while he was here.

"Greetings, Uchiha-chan." A wry voice accompanied the overly hyperactive one, and the coal-eyed boy in turn hated whichever God had made him deserve such a fate. Then, Sasuke prayed that a Deity would save him from his inevitable fate.

But, Sasuke did not believe in Deity's, so he strolled in in all his indifferent glory. Upon inspecting the faces of the occupants of the room, he inwardly winced, wishing that somehow, he had been injured during his training with the squad. Though, Uchiha Sasuke never got injured, so this was another vain wish.

Through even closer inspection, he was startled to see that Neji had his 'white eyes' (2) activated. Said teen watched him humorlessly, and Sasuke took the clue to not ask him why. Instead, he turned his attention towards the irritating voice that was trying to capture his attention.

"Guess what, Sasuke! My surgery is tomorrow!" Had it already been that many weeks? He couldn't believe it. He'd been standing beside Shin while he slept for how many days now? He'd gotten back into his old sleep cycle, and he couldn't say he was glad.

An ANBU captain needed no rest, though.

"What time?" He asked this because it was the thing to do, and he most probably needed to know. He could train at the time Shin's surgery was taking place.

Immediately, Shin shook his head to clear this unthinkable thought. Idiot or not, Shin was his charge. He wouldn't leave him at that moment in time. It was the first surgery Shin would remember, anyways.

"Full house! I kicked your ass, Hyuuga!" Shin's voice exploded in the room, startling Sasuke out of his reverie. So they were playing poker? Watching as Neji set his cards down, looking amused but carefully blank, he had decided he'd ask later. "And they said tomorrow at six!" Shin looked at him cheerfully, green eyes in an upwards curve to show how pleased he was to win his 'match' with Neji.

"6:00pm? Hn." He was fine with that. Now, he didn't pick up Shin until 9. It would most likely by Hyuuga's problem, and the black-haired teen would be knocked out when he got back. He silently thanked whatever for the small reprieve.

"Nope. Morning!" Shin was cleaning up the cards now, shuffling them with expert ease and dropping them back in the case. He stared at the 'cripple' with disbelief written all over his features, not comprehending what he was saying. He had practice tomorrow morning! How could… "In the morning." He erased his train of though, instead giving Shin a deadpan stare that clearly said, 'what the fuck are these doctors smoking?'.

The green-eyed male threw him a sarcastic roll of his eyes, setting the cards aside. "You don't even have to go through it, you big baby." At this, he cocked a brow, and Shin gave him the one-fingered salute. "Oh, look at that, it just…popped up. Sorry 'bout that, Sasuke." He grinned widely at his 'supervisor', setting his hands back down.

He made a sound of acknowledgement, standing across from the boy beside the uncomfortable hospital chairs, scanning the room to see if it had been tampered with. He watched as Neji got up, placing his chair in the proper place on the wall. He set it with a 'tap' against the white-washed walls, leaning towards Sasuke. "Outside."

He nodded. He was going to ask why Neji was using the Byakugan anyways. He followed Neji outside, nodding as the ANBU guarding the door slipped inside behind him. "So what is it?"

"I know you're wondering about the Byakugan." Neji watched him, hand resting on the hip that his mask was occupying. He tapped his finger against his mask in a thoughtful motion. Finally, he seemed to come up with an answer that suited his interest. "I was playing poker."

Sasuke's eyes twitched.

This teen, Hyuuga, could say that with such a straight face. How could he? 'I was playing poker' was not a proper answer for why he was using the Byakugan. A proper answer would have been, 'I heard there were enemy ninja to attack.' or 'I was on the look-out.' Not 'I was playing poker.'

Why was Neji a part of the ANBU squad? Say…Konohamaru, for instance? At this thought, Sasuke shook his head. The kid was a Naruto-wannabe.

…Naruto.

"…at 6:00, tomorrow morning, during Shin's surgery."

Sasuke looked up, hiding how startled he was. What he had been thinking about was bad. Distraction for an ANBU captain. He scowled, but nodded to Neji. "Say that again."

"You need to pay more attention, Uchiha-_sama_." Neji stared at him impassively, before repeating what he had previously said. "We have a meeting with Tsunade-sama at 6 tomorrow morning, regarding Shin. Obviously, it's during his surgery."

"…"

"You don't approve, I take it?" The Hyuuga looked amused, but he was agreeing nonetheless. "It is pretty inconvenient, but Hokage-sama's orders." Neji tilted his head towards the door. "Have fun, Uchiha-san." With those parting words, he slipped his mask on, and disappeared.

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"Sasu-ke, this is boo-ooring…." A whiny (_very_ whiny) voice cut through his concentration, and he looked up from the board that had caught his interest.

"Is it boring because I'm kicking your ass?" Sasuke spoke in a dry tone, but started gathering the pieces anyways, throwing them in a bag and picking the board up. He set it off to one side before turning to look at the bed-ridden boy.

As expected, he argued. "No way Sasuke! I was totally _molesting _you!"

Sasuke covered up his laugh with a fit of coughing, and Shin stared at him with an expression of confusion. "Do you even _know_ what molesting means?"

Shin stared at him for a few moments before his face turned beet-red, "Shut-up! I didn't say molesting, you pervert! I said _mauling_!" By now, Sasuke couldn't hold in his laughter, and was holding his sides with a small grin on his face, trying not to change from his chuckles to full-blown laughter. "Shit! Sasuke! I would never molest you! You're a mean bastard!" Sasuke let out a peal of laughter, no longer being able to hold it in.

By the time Sasuke had regained his disposition, Shin was beet-red, and looked pissed. The ANBU leader was still laughing inwardly to himself, but he couldn't help it. Apparently, Shin had been _molesting _him!

At that thought, he let out another snort of laughter, but overall, was done with his little fit.

"I hate you," Shin was grumbling, crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out at the entertained occupant of the room. He looked at the small television hanging above his head, annoyed when he noticed it was an old soap opera. How stupid!

"Nice to know," Sasuke spoke in a laconic tone, standing up and stretching his arms above his head, always wary that there may be someone watching them.

"I wasn't being serious, stupid!" Shin threw a pillow at him, in which he immediately caught with expert reflexes. He cocked a brow at him, before lobbing the pillow back at him, noting with ironic sarcasm that it hit Shin directly in the face. He snorted.

"I know."

"Argh! It's so hard to tell with you, you emotionless bastard!" Shin buried his face in the pillow that Sasuke had thrown at him, choosing to glare at the other teen over the edge of the cushion. "The only time you showed emotion was in the hall where you groped me the other day, and with your tic, and now! See, three!" Shin threw his fingers up, three in all to go hand-in-hand with his words. Sasuke stared, eyes cloudy remembering when he had Shin against the wall.

Well, more like _why._

"So, why'd you freak out when I called you Sasuke-chan?" Shin leaned back, the pillow he'd 'caught' cushioning his head against the board. "Is it something personal?"

Sasuke sighed, shivering when he remembered why he hated the name Sasuke-chan, and he ran a pale hand through his hair, tilting it back and closing his eyes. Did he have to tell Shin? Staring at the ceiling he decided that yes, he would tell Shin. He didn't know why he needed to tell Shin, or why he felt he had too but he would anyways. "It's a long story." He wanted to warn Shin, and maybe had a vague hope that Shin would decline, claiming that he couldn't sit and listen to Sasuke mope for hours.

"I have 'til 6'o-clock tomorrow morning!" He heard the happy tone, but kept his eyes glued to the ceiling, hand still tangled in the hair at his forehead.

"When I was 12, I was assigned to a team of three. To an idiot named Kakashi," he tilted his head up just enough so he could capture Shin's gaze. "You met him the other day." Sasuke drew his eyes to the ceiling once more, "there was me, a pink-haired girl named Sakura who was infatuated with me, and still is. Then…There was this boy." He looked up now, hand dropping to his lap. He opted to lean on his hands, elbows resting on his knees.

"He had bright blonde hair…Only the jumpsuit he wore was a brighter color. Orange." Sasuke smiled wryly, but continued nonetheless, "He had blue eyes, and 3 whisker-scars on each of his cheeks…" Remembering their fight, he frowned. "He reminded me of a fox…He was exuberant, and nobody rivaled him in energy."

"His name was Naruto. Everyone hated him, and I still have yet to know the reason why. I'd never seen him do anything that was worth an entire village hating him…He lived alone for a lot of his life, for the simple fact that nobody wanted to keep him. Everybody hated him. Even the children. Even me," Sasuke laughed, a dry affair, but he continued on, "I didn't have a reason for hating that idiot. I just did. But…I never really hated him…We were the same."

"The thing was, since I had lost my parents in a vicious murder," He would tell Shin it was his brother when he trusted him more. If he ever did. Even the possibility was disturbing to Sasuke. "I became, and still am, cold towards mostly everyone. Naruto….Was different. He always had a cheery face on. I've never seen him cry because he was sad," Sasuke frowned, remembering the word 'distraught' for some insane reason. Naruto had never been associated with the word distraught in his mind, ever. "Even though he'd never had parents. We're similar but infinitely different."

"Naruto became my best friend," He frowned thoughtfully, before continuing, his eyes glued to the wall above Shin's left shoulder. Shin was listening intently, "I trusted him substantially. He was the only one I really…have really trusted in a long time." Coal black eyes flicked to meet green, and he continued, "he saved me, I saved him. He would have denied what I just said, saying that it was him always doing the saving…" Sasuke snorted. As if. The dobe always did have his head screwed up.

"On April 1st, 2 years ago, Naruto…disappeared. Left without telling me. Or anyone else, for that matter. I…Well, there was a note. And I don't remember it. Only the portion that was addressed 'Sasuke-chan'." Sasuke let loose another snort of laughter, but turned his head to the side. He hated remembering stuff like this. Knowing Shin, the next question would be…

"What'd the note say?" Shin was staring at Sasuke with utmost attention, hands folded in his lap, eyebrows knitted together.

Sasuke started reciting from memory, his voice void of emotion that was supposed to be there, "Hey, Sasuke-chan! Yeah, I called you Sasuke-chan, got a problem? Anyways, I'm writing this to say I'm ditching you guys. Yeah, I know you're going to be in great danger without the great Uzumaki Naruto around, but you have to deal with it! So, anyways, before you start bawling, I'll end this goodbye. Bye, Sasuke-chan!"

Sasuke looked up, and of course his eyes were completely dry. "I didn't even know the idiot could write legibly."

"Did you love this guy or something? Or was it just a brother-type thing?" Sasuke's eyes whipped up to meet a thoughtful Shin's, and he growled. "No. It was neither. He wasn't even my friend." Sasuke glared at the startled boy.

"You trusted a guy you weren't even friends with? Was he your lover or something?" Something in Sasuke snapped, and he lunged forward, grabbing Shin by the collar of the stupid hospital gown, kneeling beside him.

Why were his eyes burning? "No. He never was, and he never will be. He's _dead._" He spat this out, and he didn't even know he had his Mange sharingan activated, but he couldn't help it. He was livid.

Defiant green eyes stared into his red ones, and he could imagine them blue. Sasuke was losing himself, again, as he had so many times before, in those blue eyes. Those blue eyes of 2 years ago, the years that seemed liked decades and millennia.

"You remind me of him," Sasuke breathed this sentence, barely a whisper, and he was surprised to see how close he was to Shin's lips, so much that he could smell Shin's breath, and that he couldn't get enough of it. Shin's breathe was filling him up, keeping his heart beating.

He leaned in, eyes closed, surprised to see the other boy doing something identical to what he was doing, and his heart ached. _Naruto…_

"Sasuke-kuun!" A boisterous voice broke through his thoughts, and he scrambled to get away from a flustered looking Shin, relieved when the girl walked in a few moments after his little…stunt.

"Sasuke-kun! How are you?" Sakura smiled shyly at him from beneath her eyelashes. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, and Sasuke offered her a small nod.

"Shin, this is Sakura. Sakura, this is Shin." They both looked at each other, blinked once, twice, and both stared at each other some more. Sasuke decided to speak up, and he looked decidedly amused, "Do you guys know each other?"

"I don't think so." Shin stared at Sakura, but his eyes lightened up almost immediately. "You must be the girl Sasuke was talking about!" He grinned widely at the girl, but the girl paid no heed, smiling nervously.

"Sasuke-kun was talking about me?" She asked this in an overly hopeful voice, and now she grinned. "Wait until I tell Ino-pig!"

"I was talking about our…" Sasuke searched for the right words without having to say 'Naruto'. "Our old team." At these words, Sakura visibly deflated, and she turned back to Shin.

"Ino was actually talking about you, saying how cute you were! I really agree with her!" Sakura smiled coyly at him, before throwing a sidelong glance at Sasuke. "Nobody's as good as Sasuke-kun though." He'd heard it a million times, and Sakura was still like a cousin. "But Sasuke-kun, I have invitations for you and Shin!"

She brandished two pieces of paper, and handed them too each, "Ino-pig made the one for Shin, since I don't think I met him before now!" She smiled at them, before wagging a finger at them, "You can't open it until we say, though!" She laughed, hands folded behind her back as she leaned forward. "But I have to go now, Sasuke-kun! Shin-kun! Bye!" She waved before running out of the room, more invitations clutched in her hand.

Sasuke sighed, tucking the paper into his back pocket. "Don't mention him in front of Sakura."

"Ok." Shin nodded, leaning back into his pillows, the previous incident most likely stored away. "Oi, Sasuke?"

"Hn." He acknowledged that it was a question, and Shin continued.

Shin was fishing something out of his travel bag, the one he seemed to always bring with him. Sasuke sucked in a breathe of air when he saw what Shin had grabbed.

That damn _doll._

"Is this that guy? Naruto?" Shin was intently looking at him, head tilted and eyes in a small slant. "It's like you describe him, anyways."

Sasuke had a small smile. "Yeah. That's him."

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"I'm scared." A whisper. It was barely audible in the quiet dark that enveloped the room. Groggily, dark eyes slowly opened, realizing that he was resting his head on his crossed arms.

I'm scared…That's what had been said. With a small sigh, one that barely escaped his lips, just slipped past his teeth, he pried the other boys curled hand open, slipping his fingers in and intertwining them together.

"..." The tension was suffocating him, and another sigh, and he reached up and brushed his knuckles against his cheek, leaving them there, resting against soft skin.

"Thank-you." This was quieter then before, barely perceptible in the dark.

Though, he'd already been sleeping.

/././././….

__

They were sitting between a war and a peaceful slumbering field. Sasuke was stretched out, watching the explosions in the sky on the side that was warring, and Naruto was on his stomach, fiddling with a flower.

"I get my heart examined today. Can you hold my hand?" Naruto's lips didn't move, nor did Sasuke hear him.

Sasuke nodded. He would hold Naruto's hand.

"I get a piece of my heart today." Will you hold my hand?

Naruto nodded. He would hold Sasuke's hand.

So they both sat up, hands now linked, and they started walking on separate sides. The only thing crossing over each side was their hands, tangled together.

In front of them was a desolate hospital building, and neither noticed that Naruto had wandered to Sasuke's side, so much that he was now nearer to the bombs and hurtful things then the black-haired boy himself. They looked at each other, and then they shrugged, and then they walked into the building.

Before they could go to the room in which Naruto declared his 'operation' would be, Sasuke jerked him over to another side, the darkest side of the room they were in. There they sat, something that was shrouded in shadows but was holding a light in it's hands. Sasuke held his hands out, impatiently, and you could feel the thing frown. Reluctantly, it held up the light, and broke a piece off. Sasuke nodded and tucked the piece into his pocket.

He would save it for later. When he needed his heart.

Then Naruto dragged him over to the room he was supposed to be in, and Sasuke pretended to resist, but didn't, because he liked Naruto to hold his hand.

Naruto sat on the table, then lay on the table when told, though there were no voices issuing orders. Then the faceless doctors came in, and Sasuke patiently held Naruto's hand as they cut his chest open.

Then there was a line, all of faceless doctors and nurses, and they all cut Naruto's heart, and one took a mask off Naruto, and the mask had a smile on it while the real Naruto was grimacing and crying and making painful faces.

The line continued, and sometimes, Sasuke noted that there were some doctors and nurses who sowed up some of the cuts made on Naruto's heart. What confused Sasuke though, was that some of the ones who had sewn up the cuts made deeper ones of their own.

Still, Sasuke waited patiently, and after the calendar beside the door had finished 13 years, the line had ended, and Sasuke was still holding Naruto's hand.

Now, he noticed, that Naruto's heart was cut into little pieces, and Naruto was desperately reaching for his mask, but couldn't reach it because Sasuke was to busy holding it away from him.

"Please," Naruto looked so desolate, sobbing and crying and bawling and looking at Sasuke with those very happy eyes. "Sasuke, can I have a piece of your piece of your heart, and my mask back? Please?" Naruto was looking so hopeless now, and at that moment, Sasuke was hesitating.

He didn't want to give away a piece of his heart. What if he needed it? Or what if Naruto broke it?

Naruto did help him get his heart back though…He hadn't wanted to get it back. He was scared. But Naruto had been there, and Naruto had helped…

Grudgingly, he reached to give Naruto a piece of his heart, a small piece. He broke off this little piece, a piece that was very small to begin with, and held it out to Naruto.

But Naruto was gone, and he dropped the bigger piece of his heart into the void that had swallowed Naruto, and all he was left with was this small, tiny piece that was useless.

And Sasuke was so angry, so furious, that he threw Naruto's mask on the ground.

But it did not break, so Sasuke stepped on it.

Still, it would not break, and Sasuke was smashing at it now, wanting it to break.

Finally, one of the faceless doctors came, and another one, and they all stepped on it together, and it broke. Then they smiled at Sasuke, and they took the piece of his heart he had left.

Sasuke crouched down, and started picking up the pieces, but one of the pieces of the mask nicked his finger, and he was bleeding now, so he broke the piece, and caused himself to bleed more.

So Sasuke took a cloth and tried to pick the pieces up, attentively so as to not cut himself. Still, they scratched his fingers and caused him to bleed.

Next, he took a broom, and tried to sweep them up, but they cut his feet.

Sasuke looked up at the calendar, and was angry to find another 1 and a half years had passed. He threw down the broom, and the dustpan, and Sasuke stormed out.

Later, Sasuke felt guilty, so he went back to the room. It had been half a year, maybe somebody had picked them up already?

The door was open a crack, so Sasuke assumed someone had.

So Sasuke left, and the pieces were still on the floor.

/./././….

Sasuke sat straight up, eyes darting around in the dark. He was panicked to find his hands unavailable, and he looked down to find that they were twisted together with Shin's. He grunted, untangling them, standing up and looking at the blinking clock on the wall.

4:03am. Hm.

Why had he woken up?

Vaguely, he remembered that he had dreamt something. He knew he had, but he did not know what. He had only known that it was weird.

What had been in his bizarre dream?

He did not remember. He wished he did, but he didn't.

He might as well get 15 more minutes of rest. Sasuke leant against the wall, arms crossed and eyes about to drift close when a word invaded his silence, caused him to bolt with kunai in his hand.

"Itachi…"

His eyes were riveted to the sleeping boys. Why was Shin saying his brothers name sleeping?

Sasuke did not sleep the rest of the morning.

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"What is it, Tsunade-sama?" He looked at her with tired eyes. "Shin's operation is taking place at the moment." He'd left Shin as soon as the doctors had come, and was in a hurry to get back.

"Looks like you've become quit addicted to your sleep, Sasuke!" She grinned at him, and he scowled at her cheery disposition. It was her fault he was like this! "The reason I called you to my lovely office is because Neji asked for a meeting with you and I. I'm sorry that I had to plan this meeting as early at it is." She looked apologetically at the both of them, before tilting her head at Neji, her fingers steepled in front of her.

Sasuke stifled a yawn, fingers gripping the arms of his chair. He was with Shin until 9 O'clock, in which Neji took him after that. He was disobeying his orders, even if it was his 'boss' (Sasuke rolled his eyes at this) that had called him he-

"Shin is much stronger then a genin." The pale teen jerked his head up, and focused his interest solely on Neji. "…I knew that would catch your attention." Neji smiled dryly, before continuing.

"Over the past few months, Shin has showed exponential chakra levels." Neji leaned forward in his chair, jittery but not moving, nervous but not showing it. "I've performed numerous tests. Two of which are worth honorable mention, the rest minor that I have taken the courtesy to jot down in a detailed report." Neji leaned back again, not minding the slanted glare Sasuke was shooting him, paying heed only to Tsunade's interested look.

"The first test was when I let Shin get a tongue-piercing," For some reason, he was speaking with a wry tone, but he continued. "Of course, he agreed readily, and it took no less then ten minutes, but he complained about it for a couple of hours." The Hyuuga had a thoughtful look on, though it was hard to tell with the white eyes. "This was a test to see if Shin was a clone. Unfortunately, or not, the test revealed negative. Clone's disappear in 'pain'. I know this because I tried the same thing on one of my own clones, to get ready for this." This settled Sasuke's beliefs that such a thing wouldn't work.

No, he was not glad the test was negative.

"Now is the most intriguing part of my tests," Neji was sitting completely still. "Recently, I've played several poker matches with Shin," finally, Neji was getting to what he had been wondering about. "I lost."

How was this a test? Did enemy shinobi have good poker skills or something? But…The Byakugan! It dawned on Sasuke, and he watched Neji, expecting what he was thinking to be spoken.

Of course, he was right. "Even with my Byakugan activated, I couldn't see through Shin's cards." Even Neji himself was intrigued. "Normally, my Byakugan can see even through human body. Cards are a flimsy piece of paper. Expertly applied chakra can block my Byakugan. Nobody under the ANBU level should be able to prevent my eyes from seeing." Even if this sounded cocky, it was true. The Byakugan was an advanced bloodline limit. There was a way to get around everything. There wasn't a way to keep the Byakugan from seeing your chakra points, but there were ways to keep it from seeing through other things.

Paper, for example.

Tsunade was rubbing her temples, and pinching her nose, trying to keep the inevitable headache from overwhelming her. "Alright. There has to be someone with him at all times. _All _times." Tsunade stretched this point with a look in their direction, and they nodded. "Shin Nakitama arrived on August 16...It's September 25th, right?"(3) They nodded again in affirmation, and she sighed, shuffling the papers on her desk.

"In October, we have the…festival," Neji and Sasuke looked puzzled at her careful choice of words, but she continued, "and Halloween. And November is the chuunin exams, while December is Christmas, and new years…"

She seemed to be mapping out every event to happen in the coming months, and she finally came to a decision. "During January, which seems to be free, you, Neji, and a few other chuunin will be accompanying Shin Nakitama to the old ladies house he found himself in. You will examine the premises." The blonde snapped her fingers, remembering something, "I'll get Ino to go into his mind again, and get the map to the old ladies house. For precautions. It may be fuzzy, but we can find the location."

"Other then that, is there anything else that needs to be mentioned?" Suddenly, Sasuke remembered what Shin had muttered in his sleep. This was Sasuke's business, and Sasuke's business only.

As Neji was handing Tsunade the reports, and the meeting was about to be adjourned, Sasuke remembered something else.

"Tsunade-hime. Is it possible for chakra to erase freshly spilt blood? Moments after it's spilt?" Sasuke stared at her intently, and the women looked thoughtful, before shaking her head.

"Not that I know of. I'd have to look up on it, why?" She was watching him now, waiting for any change in Sasuke's features or anything else. There was nothing.

"How about chakra to change eye color? Or…" Sasuke racked his brain for the last piece of information he was looking for, and the thought dug into his brain…What was it? "Have Shin's back examined." He was glad that he'd remembered this detail, but didn't bother congratulate himself over such a trivial triumph.

Again, she thought for awhile, and even Neji was waiting for her answer. Finally, she looked up, blue eyes gazing at them contemplatively, she nodded carefully. "It's possible for the color change. It would take concentration, but yes. It's possible." That was all Sasuke needed to know.

As he was about to leave, he caught the calendar on Tsunade's desk out of the corner of his eye. Absentmindedly, he tore off the previous date and handed it to Tsunade, oblivious to the weird stare he was receiving from the current Hokage.

The calendar having the wrong date was odd, for some reason. Why was he remembering calendars?

He shrugged and stored this away for later thought, making his way to the hospital with Neji close by.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

A few days later, and Sasuke found himself helping Shin to his home. The aforementioned boy had crutches, due to his injury. He kept growling at Sasuke to 'slow the fuck down' and 'I'm crippled, you bastard. _Slow down_'.

Obviously, the 'cripple' was not happy with the new arrangements.

Sasuke himself was having a hard time to keep his anger in check. He did owe Shin one, for lying like that. He'd refused to be examined further, claiming that doctors creeped him out. They couldn't do anything, because Shin had not had to be examined further.

What could he do to keep his mind off this? Talk about food? The idiot always seemed ready to talk about food. Unlike some other people though, he talked about the aspects of actually _cooking_ the food.

So scratch food.

Games? Actually, Shin had a bit of a sore spot involving games when it came to Sasuke. Even though the green-eyed boy adamantly claimed that he always won every single game they played, it was not true.

Now Shin was complaining about how Neji had made him walk around all day, insisting that he needed to use the damn knee to get used to it.

What to talk about?

"When do you want your birthday to be?" The question came to him unbidden, with no warning whatsoever, and even though it was a good thing to ask so that Shin would shut the hell up, he berated himself for just letting it pop out like it had.

The black-haired boy was silent, contemplating the question, turning it over in his mind. In all truth, Shin didn't _know _when he wanted his birthday to be. There was no ideal time. Christmas, sure, you'd get extra presents, but presents on two separate occasions would surely equal _more _presents.

Halloween was…well, for candy. Sure, he could go out with his friends (if he had any by Halloween. He couldn't make friends with the damn scary ANBU following him around) as his party…

He shrugged, "I'll decide later." With a grin, he reached up and flicked Sasuke's nose, much to his annoyance.

"I'll beat you," the Uchiha issued a warning, throwing a sideways glance at the cheekily grinning boy. "I mean it, too."

Shin was grinning widely now, and Sasuke could imagine him running, if his knee was better anyways. "You wouldn't beat cute me! I'm too cute!" Sasuke rolled his eyes, helping Shin hobble into his house after he'd pushed the door open.

OoOoOoOo

Sasuke stared at his alarm clock, legs and arms crossed as he watched.

11:30pm, October 9th. On the dot.

29 minutes and 36 seconds until Naruto's birthday.

THERE! DONE!

Ah ha ha, I'm so proud of myself…It's been what, 2-3 months?

Oh yes -.- DAMN proud.

Well, around 8,000 words. That's…3,000 more then the longest chapter before this XD

I hope this suffices.

I PROMISE the next one will be out before 3 months! Cross my heart and hope to DIE promise!

**Notes:**

(1) Personally, I think Sasuke hates all living things.

…That's just me XD

(2) Yes. Mr. Death, roughly XD Fear me.

(3) A lot more time has passed XD There's the time in between where I write. For all you know, the bois could be bonking each other XD…I wish T.T

…Please believe me? XD I'll stop wasting your time while you're at it.

Review Button: FEED ME! RAAWWWRR!!!

Listen to him. He'll bite me if you don't. T.T…Naw, just kidding XD Thanks for reading!


	8. Of presents and Itachi

Heya! This is an a lot sooner update then last time, nee? Neee? Eh. I was thinking so XD I'm happy I'm able to update quicker! Turns out our season is on hiatus (that dreaded word) because our coach is pregnant. XD; Hee.

On another note, 127 reviews! ON alone! WHOO! 61 on Yay! Sankyuu to everyone who's offered their comments!

**Dedications:** To aaaall my reviewers! Because, you guys rox teh sox!

**Warnings:** Same as always. Boi's bonking! Rah hah hah. I ownz j00. SasuNaruSasu and future ItaNaru!

**Disclaimer:** Me -points to self- own nothing. Except my pennies. My precious pennies…-cough- and they own everything else. Yes.

**_Bunraku:_ **A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show

**Bunraku**

_I'm worse at what I do best  
And for this gift I feel blessed  
Our little group has always been  
And always will until the end  
_

_And I forget  
Just what it takes  
And yet I guess it makes me smile  
I found it hard  
Its hard to find  
Oh well, whatever, never mind…_

_Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana_

" 'ey, Sasu-ke…" The soft voice penetrated the quiet, a long yawn tacked onto the end of the tired greeting. "Whatchu up ta?" His speech was slurred, and he rubbed his eyes, starring blearily at the dark form in front of him.

Indeed, what _was _he doing?

Sasuke was in his kitchen, drinking coffee, and staring at a picture frame with a small box in front of it.

_That's _what he was doing.

But _why _was most probably the real question at hand here.

Green eyes shifted from the silent boy sitting hunched over the table, to the picture frame, and back again. It almost seemed as if Shin was nervous or something, eyes flitting back and forth like they were. What did he have to be nervous about?

Instead of twitching and flinching like he tended to do in situations that bothered him, he gathered his focus on the other teens face, noticing the faint lines of bags. "How long exactly have you been up anyways!" It was obvious he had been for more then a couple hours! His eyes were hollow, and his head was dipping forward so that the tips of his hair were almost in his coffee.

Instead of answering the demanding question, Sasuke continued to stared with distraction at the photo, drawing the only other set of eyes in the room to the same spot.

The frame held one of those cheesy strips of pictures, the kind taken in photo booths, that cost 2 dollars at most malls. It was black and white, and somehow, the small momentum screamed 'priceless'.

There were 3 kids in it, 2 of which Shin himself recognized and 1 who he knew without ever seeing. In the first frame, Sasuke was sitting in the middle of the team of three, a frown that wasn't really a frown tugging his lips upwards. The girl -Sakura, he reminded himself vaguely- was leaning in, cheek pushed up to the black-haired boys.

Sasuke, but a Sasuke who looked nicer, and lighter, but cold all the same. Shin yearned to see a picture where there was not something lurking behind those eyes.

He drew himself out of his inner musings so he could look at the same photo. There was another lighter-haired boy who had his chin settled on Sasuke's head, arms slung around the two below him. His eyes were squinted shut, and he had the widest grin on his face, one that looked excruciatingly happy without being too fake. He was smiling the widest out of the group.

Something clicked in Shin's mind. His doll. Naruto. Sasuke's Naruto.

His eyes wandered down to the second frame, and he was startled to see Sasuke grinning widely, an amused looking Sakura, and a blushing Naruto. How the hell did Sasuke smile like that! This was the picture he'd previously wanted to see! Though…There was something different lurking behind his eyes now. Something…

Worse?

"If you're wondering why _I'm _smiling," Shin cringed, being reminded there was another occupant in the room. Sasuke's voice was flat, and it bit at the back of his mind. "We were in a jutsu. The Sasuke there," Now he was speaking with a wry tone, replacing the emotionless one that had previously taken over his vocal cords. "is Naruto. I can't smile like that. 'Sakura' is me. Naruto was Sakura, who was obviously uncomfortable with being a boy for the few moments it took to snap the shot." Sasuke's voice had taken over a mere whisper, though it was strong in it's own right.

Shin nodded to the explanation, although he was sure the other teen couldn't see him. He, himself, needed to acknowledge he'd heard a voice in the otherwise silent kitchen. Instead, his eyes continued their downward trek down the lane of memories.

The third shot would have been a normal picture, except Kakashi (he remembered the name instantly) had joined and the small booth looked like it was in chaos. Even the male beside him looked disgruntled, in the picture, at the sudden intrusion, and he had to smother a laugh before it fell off his lips. Naruto was half-out of the picture, and Sakura was arguing with the older man over Sasuke's head. He didn't want to ruin the quiet but somber mood, but that single shot held a light air to it that made him want to giggle.

He smiled, but continued his little journey, and his breath hitched when it came to the final shot.

Sakura (or so he guessed) had somehow managed to shape her fingers to resemble a heart over the lens, so it looked like this particular shot had a heart-frame (although made of flesh) around it.

Another thing Sakura had managed to do was cut herself out of the picture.

Naruto had his lips pressed to a blushing Sasuke's left cheek, and the fox-boy himself had an identical blush decorating his own face. Sasuke was looking at the boy with a sidelong glance, and Shin couldn't breathe because this was the picture he had wanted, the one where he could barely see that shadow in Sasuke's eyes.

Sakura was not important. Sakura was just a pair of disembodied lips hovering over the boys right cheek.

He swallowed, dryly, and it was too loud for him to be comfortable.

Instead, again, he let his eyes drop. He was rewarded, because they landed on the small, wrapped, box.

It was a small affair, just a small box wrapped with orange sun paper, with a small blue ribbon to decorate it. It was too small to be anything big, unless it was a ring or something off the sorts.

_'Big things come in small packages.' _ Shin reminded himself sardonically.

He eyed Sasuke's white-knuckled hands gripping the now empty cup, noting that small spider web cracks were appearing in the smooth, black surface.

Unbidden, a question bubbled up and burst forth. "Who's birthday?" Obviously, it was such an event. What would a present in the middle of the month mean? Somehow, Shin doubted it was an anniversary of some kind.

He regretted asking this, disturbing the unnatural and utter silence that had settled over them. The cup cracked, and Sasuke was speaking in a tight voice, "Go to sleep. It's 3:30 in the morning."

He nodded dumbly, although he was nowhere near asleep. As any brave man would do in this situation, he turned tail and fled up the stairs. As soon as the door was closed behind his back, he realized something.

He was _still _hungry.

OoOoOoOoOo…..

He padded down the stairs unenthusiastically, eyes half-lidded with the sleep he'd been jarred from so rudely. People were already up outside, and they were being loud about it too! He made a face at the mat at the bottom of the stairs, before jumping from the third step, stumbling and ending up with aching feet.

_Already _it was turning out to be a nasty day.

He walked into the kitchen, expecting to find Sasuke there, and was surprised to find the teens previous dwelling spot abandoned, though the tell-tale signs of a shattered cup and pushed out chair remained. The picture and present were gone, as well as the teen.

Sitting down, he snorted. Figures the boy would ditch him at 7:30am. He was supposed to meet Neji in a couple of hours! 9 o'clock, every single day. Sasuke _waited _for that hour to strike! He'd be damned if he was late.

Despairingly, he rubbed his temples, and let his head land with a 'thump' against the cool surface of the marble table, closing his eyes. Sasuke was too much stress. Too Much!

Wearily, he set out to making breakfast for two, highly doubting that there would be two to eat the meal.

OoOoOoOo…..

It was 9:30! Where the hell was Sasuke? Wasn't he supposed to be watched 24/7! He was late! He'd been ready hours ago, and where the hell was Sasuke! "Where the hell is that emotionally retarded, stupid excuse for an-"

"You better not be talking about me, ahou." (1) Shin whirled around to meet an entertained ANBU leader, and he flew at him, arm swinging.

"You bastard! I'm late and it's all because of-" Again, he was cut off be a low chuckle, and his fist hit an expertly placed palm, much to his annoyance. "I was supposed to be there a half an hour ago, you bastard!" He stuck his tongue out at the sniggering teen, crossing his arms with a huff. "I'm late." Now, he was speaking calmly, something Sasuke found infinitely entertaining, for some odd reason.

Sasuke spoke in the same tone of voice, though in a way that made the green-eyed teen feel like he was a child getting punished, "Today is the festival to celebrate the banishment of the Kyuubi." He smirked at the confused expression on Shin's face, and something told him '_adorable'._ "The Kyuubi was a giant fox demon that destroyed Konoha and killed many of our shinobi 16 years ago. The 4th sealed the monster. Everyone's thankful." He was musing, because no matter where he looked, he couldn't find _where _the Kyuubi had been sealed. "We're glad the monster was finally put away."

"Yeah." He glanced at Shin, surprised because of the soft voice he used. Why would Shin seem…sad, almost? He hadn't…Well, he probably didn't remember what happened, so why would he care? The fox had done terrible damage to Konoha! Why was he wondering anyways…?

"Anyways, since the festival is going on, we get a day off thanks to Tsunade-sama's generosity. Since we have enough ANBU, we can all patrol the edges of the village an hour each. I finished my hour." He slipped his shoes off, stepping near the silent boy, "And I'm taking you for the rest of the day."

"Wait…" Sasuke tilted his head to the side, before slipping past the prone male. "I have to spend the whole freakin' day with you! Mister I-have-a-stick-up-my-arse!" There was a groan that followed the supposed insult, and Sasuke snorted.

"Yeah. The whole day. Boo on you." Moments later gasping laughter was heard, and he turned around to see Shin doubled over, a wide grin on his face and nails digging into his side.

"You did not just say 'Boo on you'! You, the untouchable Uchiha! Ha!" Shin tried to straighten up, but only started laughing again at the startled and miffed look on the object of his laughter. "Man, I hear Teeny-Boppers say that kind of stuff!" Shin eventually straightened up, but not without the occasional snort or snicker.

"_Anyways_," He continued, crossing his arms and glaring at the amused boy. "Since this is a festival, we're wearing Yukata's. Since I highly doubt you have one of your own, you can borrow mine." Sasuke's face changed from irritated to wistful to irritated in a matter of seconds, "My mother made sure we all had black Yukata's with a blue, red, or green trim on each. They all have Uchiha symbols, so you're going to have to suffer with being branded as one of mine for a day." The sharingan-holder smirked at the choice of words he used, solely because he knew it would piss the other off.

He was right, too. "I'll never be anything of yours you bastard!" Shin was fuming, arms crossed and glaring at the teen before him. He held back any laughter he might have, but nodded up the stairs. "Be glad I'm letting you borrow _my_ Yukata. Now get upstairs. I'll be there in a minute."

OoOoOoOoOoO…..

Sasuke stared.

He stared, and he stared, and he tried not to laugh so hard that he would bust a gut.

Shin stood before him, a bright scarlet to contrast the green trim on the traditional outfit. The usual ankle-length garment reached a couple of inches above, and while the sleeves usually held about mid-forearm, they were reaching his elbows.

He couldn't help it. He started sniggering. "You look like an idiot." He scratched at this side, sore from trying to hold in all the giggles that were threatening to burst out. Uchiha's did not giggle.

Shin crossed his arms, wincing when even he could hear the material stretching around his back. "At least we know now I'm taller then you!" He grinned smugly at the other boy as soon as the shaking stopped, it being clear that Sasuke didn't believe this.

"The damn things probably just short! I could still be growing…Or something." He threw a disgruntled look at the short black yukata, and uncrossed his arms, before crossing them again. He wasn't accepting the fact that this 15 year-old idiot could be taller.

"How old are you, Sasuke?" Suddenly, Shin was in his face, and he took a step back. The retard was invading his personal space!

"17." He answered without thinking, even though he'd been keeping personal information secret since Shin had infiltrated his house. It seemed like a simple question, but…

"You're done growing, Sasuke." The grin before him was wide, green eyes squinted into half-moons. He looked like a trickster fox.

"I hate you." And they went over this over and over and over again, and it never changed.

"But I love you!"

He shook his head. Predictable. "It's almost 11:00. Just…put on some nice clothes or something." Sasuke turned, leaving a grinning teen in his wake.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo…..

"Where did you get that?" Dark eyes took in the view of the other resident of the house dressed in a pure black yukata, save the emerald green trim and obi. He had normal geta on, and he was grinning at Sasuke.

"Why ya wanna know?" He was still grinning. Idiot.

"Because this is my house, and you have the Uchiha fan on the back, and my…my own yukata's are too short for you." Why should he give an explanation to this…this idiot? He hadn't even _wanted _to admit that Shin was taller then himself, and here he was saying his yukata was too small!

Shin rolled his eyes, and threw his arms up in fake exasperation, his sleeves sliding down towards his shoulders. "Fine. I'll tell you."

'_Finally.' _He resisted the urge to think 'idiot'.

"Didja know that you have a lot of rooms in your house? Anyways, I was walking, because I was bored, and waiting for your pansy ass," Pansy ass? This pansy ass could kill him! "to hurry up, and I walked into this room! It was pretty weird, because it looked really…not used. But there were a bunch of clothes in the closet, a weird vest, and a hell of a lot of weapons!" Shin shrugged, and grinned at him.

"There was even a black cloak with clouds on it. It was cool."

Black cloak with clouds? "Where is this!" Panic seeped into his voice, eyes gaining an edge that only distraught feelings can bring. He barely heard Shin's directions as he ran to where he loathed to go.

He skidded in his desperation, grabbed the door frame and wrenched the door open. He stared, gaped at the material laying on the floor beside the open closet. The red clouds mocked him, sneered that this idiot had let an Akatsuki member into the house.

He stumbled on his way to the floor, crashed on his knees only to realize that his hands were on the damned clothe, and jerked away as if he was burned, because how the hell was this here?

He did not whimper, of course. He just cursed his mind for spinning out of control like it had., like it was.

"I guess this is a bad time to mention somebody that looks like you has come in the past few months?" A weak voice called behind him, and his hands started shaking at these words.

How could he? How could he let the bane of his existence creep in, steal his shadows and happiness? How could he let him come right under his nose? He was strong enough! He could beat Itachi now! How…?

He could feel the sharingan coming, and he tried to stop it, he really did. He shook from the strain of trying to do so.. He couldn't though, not with the knowledge of what had slipped in and out without him knowing.

Then two arms slipped around his back, rested in his stomach, and a cheek was pressed to the back of his neck. "Common, Sasuke! Don't freak out on me now, please?" A pleading voice, soft and interrupting, entered his thoughts. He vaguely remembered a similar situation, something exactly like this.

Was this worse then last time?

He stood up, his eyes settling into coal black again, though his fists were clenching and unclenching again and again. It was what remained of his earlier rage, and thankfully, the only thing that remained.

"It's 12:30. I'll be back in 3 hours, and we'll go out to celebrate." Parting words, and Sasuke was gone.

OoOoOoOoOoO…..

There! Done, chapter 8. Albeit shorter then the last one, it's a hell of a lot shorter a wait, huh? XD So there! You guys told me to write fast, so I did!

(Don't remind me the last time it updated was in January T.T)

On another note, my birthday's tomorrow! Whee! XD February 28th. I was gonna post it then…But I doubt you people would rather have it then. X3

So there. I'll start the next chapter!

**Notes:**

(1) Ahou is another form of idiot (I think )

Yukata's…Eh, I only had pictures to go on XD Forgive me!

I'm done basketball season X3

…I will leave without a review plea, for once!

….

Did you really believe me? XD Please read, review, and leave constructive criticism and/or flames!

…Or else the review button will eat my brains.


	9. Of festivals and stars

Hello one, hello all! It is I, Catrina, here with an update.

I promise you'll be most likely disappointed with this chapter! T.T

…142 reviews (dies) I love you guys.

**Warning:** May cause seizures if not used properly. Or…read properly. Don't read it you don't like badly written chapters. Oh yeah, there's a bunch of boixboi action too X3 So read if you enjoy that. SasuNaruSasu, Future ItaNaru, other couplings, if asked!

**Disclaimer: **I 0wnz cookies. And…I don't own the characters. There's a lot of things I don't own.

**_Bunraku:_ **A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show

**Bunraku**

..domineo veniteo sacramentum (discesm)eodeo  
Domineo veniteo sacramentum (discesm)eodeo  
Domineo veniteo sacramentum (discesm)eodeo..  
Athairarneamh dialinn..athairarneamh dialiom  
Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum.  
Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum.

(Heavenly father, God is with us..  
Heavenly father, God is with me  
Believe that every day has  
Dawned for you as the last.  
Believe that every day has  
Dawned for you as the last.)

_-Pax Deorum, Enya_

OoOoOoOoO…

_'Where was that idiot?' _Sasuke was back, and he was calm (if not shaken). He'd returned after…2 hours and 15 minutes. He knew it was stupid, but he wasn't in an exactly safe state of mind when he left.

"Where's the idiot?" This time he repeated the question out loud, and looking up to the ceiling, he began to wonder. Maybe Shin was an excellent spy? What if he was…Naruto? What if he was someone in disguise?

Obviously, Sasuke knew that his mind was running away with him. Even _if _his imagination ran wild, it could be chalked up to good, healthy paranoia. Or not.

He concentrated, slipped into the center of himself so he could hear _everything. _He could hear people _outside_. And…

And he could hear the quiet murmurs of someone deep inside the house, just a mutter above the rest, and he hated to hear that the tones differed in pitch. Could there be more then one person…?

Itachi!

Now he was running, not caring how loud he was in doing so, just running aimlessly in a direction. The direction he heard those voices in. All of the sudden, he could hear. Clearly.

"I'm not fucking Naruto, so get your hands off me!" He could hear a fist flying, cutting through small air currents before someone stumbled and was caught halfway down and…

He wrenched the door open, only to find Shin on the floor, folded nearly and half with a pensive look on his face. The mange-sharingan he was suddenly faced with seemed to startle him, and he turned pale at the sight of Sasuke.

"I-I'm sorry. Sorry." He pushed past Sasuke, and staggered in the hall, and was gone a few moments later.

Sasuke stared after him, wondering why his eyes were burning so badly.

OoOoOoOoOo…..

Hours later found Shin and Sasuke sitting on the front steps of the manor, looking surreal in the dim light provided by the roof overhead. They sat in their yukata, until Shin finally decided to speak, his voice quiet.

"Look, Sasuke, I-"

"It's nothing," Sasuke interrupted again, staring straight ahead into the bustling streets, filled with happy, trauma-free people.

People he _hated._

"It's just…" Shin was continuing, hesitating before he decided to speak again. "Sasuke, have you ever woke up disoriented, not knowing where you are, or what's happening?" He took Sasuke's cautious nod as encouragement, and plowed on, "Imagine that feeling 24/7. Tenfold. It's…I can't remember anything! I don't know what I like, I don't know what I hate, I don't even know when my birthday is, and I'm supposed to be ecstatic! I'm happy, but…"

There was a lengthy pause, one that probably lasted more then 10 minutes, 20 minutes, even half an hour. It was awhile before Shin spoke again, thought his voice was soft, and normal people would have trouble hearing him.

"It's…I like cards. I don't like Ramen. And insignificant things like discovering what flavor of ice cream 'Shin' likes are huge discoveries for me that I few as huge accomplishments. The only other thing I know I like for sure is Sasuke…"

He chose to ignore this last line, instead focusing on the being beside him. Focus on his breathing, listen to his heartbeat. Listen to him.

"But…yeah. It's like that. I can't think without being confronted with my retarded mind." Shin laughed, rubbing the back of his head and grinning sheepishly. "I'm sure Sasuke probably doesn't want to spend the day with me anymore, so I'll just…"

Again, Shin was cut off, though this time it wasn't with Sasuke's words. It was the action that came before the spoken part.

"Come on. It's almost 6, and we haven't done anything worth mentioning today." Sasuke held out his hand impatiently, ready to withdraw it at any given moment. A tan hand was placed in his pale palm, and wordlessly, they walked out, hands still linked between them.

OoOoOoOoO…..

"Argh, come on you stupid ball! Get on the damn hook!" The enraged cries of a very angry boy rang out threw the festival, and people were looking over and giggling behind their hand, secretly enjoying the boys difficulty. (1)

Sasuke was standing with annoyance behind him, holding Shin's right hand with a lazy grip. "Come on, ahou, you're being slow!" People were also taking note of how the two boys held hands. Their famed ANBU leader, holding hands with another male? It was definitely weird!

"Shut up, you stupid kid! This game is rigged!" The owner of said booth was reassuring Shin that the stand was far from rigged, but the pig-headed boy was refusing to listen.

"Look, ahou, shut up." The Uchiha leaned over, placing his hand free hand over Shin's. "If you're not a complete idiot, you would know how to do such a simple task!" As if to prove his point, he jerked his hand up, two of the water-filled balls on one hook.

"What…huh! That's not possible! You cheated, you bastard!" He proceeded to make a face at the boy beside him, much to the amusement of the small crowd of spectators. "How'd you do such a thing!" He pointed at Sasuke, indignant face still in place. "Cheat!"

Sasuke huffed in exasperation, thanking the owner and dragging Shin out of the crowd. "It takes co-ordination, skill, and a non-idiot to do such a thing." He threw one of the small prizes at Shin, who barely caught the blue and red ornament.

"I'm not an idiot!" There was a silence, and he grinned. "I'm just hungry!" It was Sasuke's turn to pull a face when Shin ran into the nearest diner, Sasuke in tow.

"We'll have a dozen maki-mono, a dozen kappa-maki, and 6 ebi!" (2) This was the cheerful order Shin gave to the server, much to Sasuke's annoyance.

"You're paying," this is what Shin informed him as soon as the waiter was gone. Idiot.

"Did it ever occur to you that I might not like sushi?" Sasuke crossed his arms, hand now free from Shin's. He couldn't say he was glad.

"Sasuke doesn't like anything." Shin was looking over his shoulder at the bustling street, completely ignoring the glare the dark-eyed boy was sending him.

"I'm willing you to turn into a pile of sizzling flesh." For some reason, Sasuke had a need to inform the object of his current 'affections' of what he was thinking.

"That's nice, Sasuke. Now move your head a liiiiiittle to the left…Hey, Ow!" Shin was now leaning back, rubbing his cheek and looking at Sasuke moodily. "Bastard." Before Sasuke could argue with him, the food arrived. Thankfully.

"Itadakimasu!" He cheerfully dug in, quickly polishing off many of the maki-mono. Only after he ate half of the ebi did Shin seem to realize that Sasuke hadn't even started on his portion of meal. "Wa an't yew weatin'?" Sasuke jerked back in disgust at the small pieces of food that escaped from the other's mouth, grimacing.

"…." Actually, Sasuke was reluctant to answer. Why should he answer? In fact, he was about to voice his thoughts when a piece of fish was shoved in front of his face. He could _feel _the damn piece of food staring at him!

"Come on, you bastard. I'm not waiting all day!"

Sasuke swore the fish was staring at him. "It's staring at me."

Shin shifted the chopsticks so that he himself was examining the fish. He stared at it for a long time before he came to his decision. "No it's not."

"Is to." Shin and the fish were staring at him now.

"I don't like to eat anything that can stare at me." This was actually an honest statement. He usually ate alone, so he didn't have to repeat this declaration more then once. Usually.

"Eat the goddamn fish! It's kappi-maki too, so there's barely any stupid fish in it. Eat it." Tentatively, Sasuke opened his mouth, aware of the stares and disapproving glares of those around them. Shin obliged, depositing the small piece on Sasuke's tongue and watching him carefully as Sasuke chewed it.

"…Sick." Sasuke glared at him. "Just sick."

OoOoOoOoO….

"Attention, civilians. Hokage-sama is to make an announcement. Meet at the square by 7:30." The dull voice droned from the speakers, and only thanks to Sasuke's sensitive hearing was he able to catch the announcement over the noise of the crowd.

"Come on, ahou. Let's get going." He tugged the boys hand, who was bending over to examine the merchandise that was on sale in one of the merchants blankets, and they were talking amiably, like good friends.

Sasuke was reasoning with himself. Shin would not be interested in an old man. Of _course _he wouldn't be!

"Yeah, yeah…" Shin let himself be pulled away, no reluctance obvious, though he held a new key chain of a fox in his hand.

Sasuke twitched.

Minutes later they were lost in the crowd of people in front of the podium set up for this occasion, listening to the whispers and hushed voices around them. This speech was on of the most empowering and thoughtful of the year in Konoha, and when the Hokage spoke, everyone listened.

"Hello, Konoha." Everyone could see the Tsunade's tired eyes, and small but noticeable weight lose. Time of war was weighing down on them. "As you know, 16 years ago to this day, a monster had been ravaging the land for weeks." Immediately, all whispers stopped. They held their breath, waiting.

"16 years ago, we were saved by a bright and brilliant young man. The Yondaime sacrificed his life, and the life of a newborn, to save us all. As soon as we had time to assess the damage, we had discovered that extreme damage had been done, though it was nothing compared to the lose of life. We lost some valuable clans, totally wiped out by this beast."

"Kyuubi. That is what we know the fiend as. We do not know why he attacked, and there was no warning. If it hadn't been for that brave man, and innocent child, we would not be here today. They are both heroes, and they are both gone," Murmurs arose, only from the adults, the ones who considered one of these heroes a monster in himself.

"Now, Konoha, we are here today, celebrating the passing of one of these heroes, and celebrating the new beginning. Looking around now, we have become one of the greatest civilizations known to our history! We could not have done this without you, and the help of our comrades. We are thankful to be alive today, and all through your hard work and effort have we been able to get here! We are here because of you, Konoha, and we will keep fighting for our village!" People were cheering, and they were proud to be part of this particular village, because this was what they were fighting for. And would continue fighting for.

Secretly, Sasuke kept these thoughts to himself. He hated Konoha. It trapped him. It kept him from the power he longed for. It kept him from Itachi.

A sidelong look at Shin's face showed that he was having conflicted thoughts also. His eyes were dark, and he was staring ahead at the women on the podium with utmost contempt.

Moments after Shin had directed the stare, there was a kunai to his throat. "This could count as plotting to kill, or treason, ahou. Don't be so open about emotions like this." These were the words hissed into the boys' ear, and of course, he understood.

"Let's go get something to eat!" Luckily, nobody had noticed the exchange between the two. Luckily.

OoOoOoOoO….

"Hey, Neji!" The Hyuuga noticed the hand waving wildly from above the crowd, and he soon found himself staring in amusement at the pair before him.

The supposedly capable ANBU captain was soaked from head to toe, as was Shin. While the green-eyed boy looked happy, the Uchiha looked pissed. Neji noted that Sasuke was looking at Shin with a 'I wish looks could kill' type of stare.

It was amusing, considering the body language they were putting out. And they were holding hands.

"Hello, Uchiha-sama, Shin." He had a dry tone to his voice, a smirk playing on his face because he didn't laugh. He smirked. "You look a little wet." It went without saying he was waiting for an explanation. It went without saying that Sasuke had turned his look to Neji.

"He pushed me in the fountain." He jerked his head in the general direction of their shared assignment, who was currently losing a rock-paper-scissors match with a small girl. For a piece of candy. "And since we were doing this," He motioned to the linked hands, which he knew Shin would blame for the losing of the match, "I pulled him in."

Anybody who looked on them would surely deserve an explanation was the reasoning Sasuke put behind elucidation he had given Neji.

"I'll take him off your hands for awhile." Was this a peace offering? Was Neji being _nice?_ Or was it a dirty trap designed to make Sasuke look like an idiot?

"Sure." He didn't care if it was a trap. A few hours at a joyous occasion without Shin? No contest. He'd go sit in his house in seclusion his few moments of peace. Maybe he was even _thankful _to Neji. Or Maybe he wasn't. He didn't care either way.

Shin had apparently heard, and had clasped onto Neji's hand, who still looked amused. The bastard. "Well then, I'll play with Neji for a couple hours. Where ya wanna meet, Sasuke?" He was grinning from ear to ear. Apparently, he had won the candy.

"Entrance road to the festival. It's 8:00, I'll meet you at….10:30. See you then." He turned, started to walk, looked back to see Shin laughing at something Neji had said.

Never mind that his hand felt empty.

OoOoOoOoOoO…..

"You brought him back _drunk!" _Sasuke exploded, lunging at the ANBU who was currently holding a veryflushed Shin. Who was laughing, because Neji had said something. An hour ago. "You _asshole."_

Neji shrugged, steadying Shin so he could stand on his own. Shin was still laughing. "He asked me. I never said no. We bought sake. I have a high alcohol tolerance. He obviously does not." This was supposedly the excuse for bringing a drunk retard to him.

"M'not drunk!" It seemed Shin had finally tuned into the conversation before him. The words were slurred, and it was obvious that his statement was false. How could this idiot not even know if he was drunk?

"…" Sasuke, and Neji, wisely, remained silent.

"…" Shin stared at them, back and forth, before he started laughing, hard enough to cause him to double over, which in turn caused him to stumble into Sasuke.

Sasuke would never touch alcohol in his _life._

"Ja Ne, Uchiha-sama." Neji bowed, and disappeared, leaving him with a snickering, drunk, stupid, dumb, slurred-speeched boy.

"Sasuke, take me up to a roof! I want to count the stars." Sasuke sighed. Might as well let Shin have what he wanted. He was drunk already, how could this hurt?

Sasuke wondered if he could take back his oath to never get drunk.

OoOoOoOoO…

It was 11:13.

Why was he on a roof with a drunk boy on a dark night in the outskirts of the village at 11:13 at night?

That was like asking why rain fell. There was a long-winded and confusing story behind it, and Sasuke did not like to tell such stories. So he didn't. And this idiot was literally trying to count the stars.

Should he be letting a drunk, uncoordinated boy be standing on the edge of the house like that?

No. He didn't think so either.

"Hey, idiot, come on, get off the edge." Sasuke was sitting farther back, leaning on his hands to support his weight. He was watching Shin balance on the edge, counting stars. The green-eyed boy looked like he was concentrating. Hard.

"You made me lose my count, bastard!" The indignant voice rang out through the silence, and he snorted, because it was impossible to count all stars. Entirely impossible.

It seemed like Shin had lost his interest in the stars when he looked at Sasuke, twisting his head so he was still facing the ledge. "Think it would be pretty to see my explode Sasuke?" What the hell was this idiot talking about? He was gesturing for him to come nearer, and he did want to know what he was talking about…

"Let's explode, kay?" Shin was grinning at him, and he was reminded painfully of his former best friend…What the…?

"Shit! You _idiot!_" Shin had disappeared over the edge of the building. How could he let him on the ledge drunk? What was he thinking! Did he want to die?

This is what Sasuke was thinking as he followed in suit, soon finding himself in mid-air, literally flying down the side of the building. There was no time, Shin would be done for in a few seconds…

Sasuke had thrown a kunai so it was ahead of Shin, performing the seals and hoping his plan would work. "Kawarimi no Jutsu!" There was a poof, and Sasuke found himself staring up at Shin, who had the gull to look carefree.

Only a few seconds…!

He enclosed his arms around Shin, tucking the boy to his chest, waiting for the inevitable impact. He had no time to move, and sometimes it was better to just hit the ground.

He shut his eyes, grinding his teeth when his back hit the ground with a sickening, unidentifiable noise. They lay their a few moments, Sasuke trying to regain his breath from when the wind had been knocked out of him. They were both breathing shallowly.

Shin looked up at him and smiled. "Knew you would catch me."

Sasuke was still catching his breathe, but he sat up anyways. Shin sat in his lap, still tucked to his chest with his eyes half-closed. Sasuke froze at the confession that came out of the boys mouth. "You risked both of our lives to prove a theory?"

"Mhm. I proved it too. Now carry me home. I want to sleep." He had the nerve…? He'd just used Sasuke as a landing cushion, and he had the nerve to say Carry Me!

"By the way, say happy birthday, you ungrateful bastard, because I picked today to be it. I'm 16!" He stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, who was still staring at him with a disbelieving look. "Now hurry up and carry me home. Consider it my present."

Needless to say, Sasuke had obliged.

OoOoOoOo….

He groaned. He protest. He complained. He whined.

Even with all these precautions taken, Sasuke had _still _made him take out the garbage. You did not take out the garbage if you were nursing a hangover! It was against the rules!

Obviously, that _ass _in the house had not known the rules, and when Shin had tried to explain them to him from under the safety of his covers, Sasuke had done everything in his power to get him out of bed. It had worked.

"I hate him." Shin was grumbling this mantra all the way to the disposal on the corner, squinting. Why was today so sunny! Why were people so loud! Why did today have to be so nice when he felt like throwing up?

Someone was conspiring against him.

"I hate Sasuke, yes I do!" He said this a little to loudly for his taste, and he grimaced, opening the lid so he could get this chore over and done with.

"Hel-lo?" He set the heavy bad beside the can, curling his hands around the edge and leaning down. "Almost there…" He was reaching for a package at the bottom of the damn garbage, and it was just out of his reach…!

He felt his fingers brush is before everything came crashing down on him.

"I hate today." He was of course speaking to the pieces of debris scattered around him, and he scowled. Soon, his scowl turned into a grin of delight, for the object he had been reaching for was sitting between his legs.

He recognized this as the object that Sasuke had had in front of him yesterday morning. The brightly colored paper stood out amongst the garbage, still perfectly wrapped despite having been thrown in the garbage for disposal.

Personally, he was wondering why Sasuke would throw a present away. Well, that, and he wanted to know what was in the thing…

Carefully, he unwrapped the small box, confused when a small piece of paper floated out, landing next to his outstretched foot. He picked it up, face confused before clearing into a bright grin when he read the contents of the small note.

Minutes later, he had already cleaned up, and was running back to the house, avoiding the carefully set traps that had already claimed him as their victim many times before.

The note was still on the ground. There was still a single sentence on it, but it wouldn't matter to anybody who happened to see it. It only mattered to two people, who would probably never again read the words written.

"I'm Sorry."

OoOoOoOoO….

Done! Without a moment to spare, too X3 I'm going on a 2 week vacation!

It's very low quality, if you hadn't noticed. (is suffering a writer's block). I wanted to finish writing it though X3 I promise the next one will be better! PROMISE!

I'll try anyways T.T I'll…um…break my keyboard if it's not better quality next time XD

On with the notes!

(1) You know those little water-filled balls on string, usually looking like their tie-dyed? Yeah. Those ones X3

(2) Maki-mono is vinegared rice and fish (or other ingredients) rolled in nori seaweed, kappa-maki is cucumber-filled sushi rolls, and ebi is boiled shrimp sushi X3 I probably got most of this wrong, since I'm a cutesy Japanese-user XD

(Author can't say anything right now. The review button has eaten her. Maybe it will be less hungry for lazy author if you review? X3)


	10. Of Parties and Drinking

Ellio! And Surprise! It's an update! Cue the gasp!

Trust me, I'm glad to be back writing, and even though the reasons for the hiatus are still there, I decided not to make you (Yes, you) crazy readers wait. Why crazy, you ask? Because you read this!

But yes, I'm back, and that's all you probably care about XD

Warning: All the best things in life: Yaoi, bishies, angst, and luff! XD

Disclaimer: I, simply, own nothing. At all.

Slightly Important Note: Please don't complain that I take to long to update. It's pretty stressful at times, and I end up feeling guilty sometimes. Hey, at least I didn't abandon the fic, huh?

Bunraku: A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show

Bunraku

_Didn't think so but I'm still convincible…_

_Will you persist even after I bet you_

_A billion dollars that I'll never love you?_

_Will you persist even after I kiss you?_

_Goodbye for the last time._

_Will you keep on trying to prove it?_

_I'm dying to lose it..._

_I want it._

_I want you._

_-Coin-Operated Boy, Dresden Dolls_

"What do we need?" Shin was squinting at the fruit on the stand, bent over and bags hanging off his arms by the dozen. Sasuke was in a similar situation, brown paper bags piled in his arms rather uncomfortably.

He couldn't believe Neji was off for a mission today, and not him.

"Anything you want to buy, as long as it's good." The black-haired boy's voice was muffled behind the bags, and Shin turned his head, grinning.

"Everything's good! And since when did you spend so much money?" This was a valid question, considering who he was. He had never before spent any of the money he'd inherited, preferring to let it pile up in the bank. Most would say he was a 'miser'. The truth was he didn't want to depend on anyone. Not even his dead parents. Least of all his dead parents!

Shin had, quite literally, been eating away his funds, though. Soon Sasuke found himself dipping into the family vault, shivering in disgust with himself, but saying at the same time it had to be done.

"Sasuke-kun!" Twin screeches above the noise of the crowd in the market, followed by various exclamations of 'Ino-pig' and 'Big Forehead!'. Sasuke groaned. Speaking of disgust…

"Sasuke-kun!" They skidded to a stop in front of him, looking from Shin to him and back. "Did you miss us?"

"No." They weren't deterred by his cold tone, and instead they grinned, tucking their hair behind their ears at the same time.

"We missed you!" They glared at each other for the umpteenth time before returning all their attention to the boys in front of them.

"Do you remember the invitation I delivered to you and Shin-san when he was in the hospital?" She said sweetly, completely ignoring the look the blonde girl was shooting her. Obviously, they'd had a contest of some kind to determine who would give the invite to their sweet Sasuke-kun.

"Yeah." Well…He remembered. Shin looked confused. He poked Shin discreetly, satisfied when the idiot fumbled with his groceries. "We do."

"Well…." They grinned mischievously, green and blue eyes curved in half-moons into almost cat-like expressions. "It's to the Halloween Bash on Friday! It's going to be held at Ino-pig's house," a jab at Sakura's ribs, "And there's going to be everything you need for a party! And it's on Halloween night too!" They looked eagerly at him, waiting for the compliment or smile that would never, ever, as long as he existed, come.

"…"

"Cool! Awesome! What time does it start!" Green eyes were wide with excitement, and he almost dropped everything he was holding. Sasuke growled, taking from Shin's pile and adding to his own.

"I'd say 8:00pm…But there's a catch." They both grinned again, and Sasuke was reminded of someone, or something, sneaking up on their prey. He looked up, resisting the insane urge to roll his eyes.

"Tell me, then."

They immediately obliged, happy to please (If only they knew) their Sasuke-kun. "It's a costume party!" They looked as if they'd pulled off the most genius scheme of the century. Sasuke sighed.

He'd just end up wearing his ANBU costume, and most likely, not going at all, "I don't care."

"You should, Sasuke-kun! That's not the catch!" Ino reprimanded him without trying to insult him. Inwardly, he snorted. Right. Since when did he care? Unfortunately, Sakura caught the snort. Predictably, she ignored it.

"What's the catch! Please tell me Sakura-chan, Ino-chan!" The idiot was begging, eyes wider if possible, and a grin on his face. "I'll do anything!"

"The catch is…" She took a deep breath before speaking, and Sasuke had to blink when she said it. "Ino-pig and I pick all the costumes!"

"…" This was absurd. It was their excuse to put pretty boys in costumes they dreamed of. It was the stupidest thing he'd ever had the misfortune to…

"Cool!" He shot an annoyed glare at Shin, perturbed to have his thoughts interrupted. "My first Halloween!" Coal eyes closed, and he let the memory of October 10th play behind his eyes. Specifically, the talk…

_'…I don't know what I like, I don't know what I hate…'_

"Alright." He nodded stiffly at the squealing girls, who'd erupted into a celebration even before he'd uttered his agreement. "We'll go."

"You won't regret it, Sasuke-kun! We'll deliver the costumes to your house on Wednesday!" They clapped their hands before they scurried off, presumably to pick the perfect, most revealing costume for him.

"This is going to be great! I mean, you dress up on Halloween! It's going to be so great, can we go Trick-or-Treating before the dance? Or maybe…" His humiliation forgotten, he let Shin prattle on about the 'most exciting night of his life', letting the noise fill in his silence.

O.O.O.O.O.O…..

"Phew!" The quick breathe of air almost echoed in the room, soon followed by the noise of something heavy falling, the crackling of bags signifying what exactly had been deposited on the floor so unceremoniously. "I've had enough shopping for one day!"

Sasuke's mouth twitched. He'd had enough shopping for a year. He'd had enough shopping for a year several times this year, it seemed.

After they'd been food shopping, they'd gone clothes shopping, soon followed by shopping for electronics and other such supplies, soon followed by shopping for _sweets_ of all things…

He didn't know that these were all necessity's for life. Apparently, Shin couldn't live without them. 'Without these, you're pretty dead!' The black-haired baka had exclaimed.

'I'm dead.' Sasuke had replied. And so on and so forth, this sort of conversation had lasted them most of the day.

"Man, I just want to relax and…Holy shit what the fu-"

"Do not damage my youthfully virgin ears with your profanities! For these ears are what supply me with all the youthful noises that stoke the fire of my enthusiasm!"

Sasuke groaned. Shin gaped. Lee posed.

"Who the fu-" When Lee's mouth opened wide, ready to deliver a speech declaring swears something disdainful, he changed his word of choice, "Who the heck are you?"

This, obviously, was what Lee was waiting for. Sasuke sighed, grabbing a book.

"I am the fiery, beautiful, Green Beast Number II of Konoha, who protects the innocent and upholds the justice used to keep all that is good alive and-" An expertly thrown book hit Lee in the head, and he blinked, before grinning. "Sasuke-sama! How wonderfully ecstatic I am to see you!"

"What exactly did you come to deliver, Lee?" To the point, maybe there would be no more ranting.

"Ah! Besides the message of love and peace? Ah, peace, the pillar to all that is youthful, keeping my faith in humanity alive and-" Sasuke picked up a book, weighing it thoughtfully. "Oh, but Sasuke-sama, although I'm sure you'd love to hear of the exploits of the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha, I have a message to deliver to you, the ANBU captain and just leader of Konoha!"

Sasuke's eye was coming dangerously close to redeveloping his tick. He hated Konoha. Konoha was what had made him unable to defeat Itachi.

"What is it, Lee-san?" He tilted his head down, watching the flamboyant man in front of him with the utmost distaste. Beautiful Green Beast II of Konoha? Konoha was an ugly place, as Lee was an ugly person to get along with (1).

"Ah, the message! The message from our Be-a-u-tiful Hokage-sama!" A scroll appeared, and Shin was clapping, undoubtedly laughing at Lee. The bowl-cut moron must have been thinking he was laughing with him, for he was laughing himself in a loud, rambunctious voice fit for acting, and acting only.

Snatching the scroll, he opened it, looking caught between bemused and tormented at the contents.

_'Yo, Sasuke!_

_'Since November is the Chuunin exams, we needed some examiners. As I know that you're very busy at the moment, I have a minor role for you!_

_Shikamaru-kun and you will be using genjutsu to test this years candidates. They have to see through the illusion that you to create. If they can't, it's pretty much an automatic fail!_

_The illusion is just you two basically telling all the candidates that they can't get past you without a fight, as you will be standing in front of a door. You'll be on the second floor, but creating the appearance of the third floor, which is the floor they must go to if they want to partake in the Chuunin exams. Remember? You went through this too!_

_This will take an hour at most! Have fun, Sasuke-kun!_

_-Tsunade_

_P.S. Make sure you use another jutsu to disguise yourself, alright? Thank-you!_

Sasuke inwardly threw a bitch fit. Diaper duty. He wasn't some stupid kids granny. Couldn't somebody else handle this? Anybody? Why was the ANBU captain receiving such menial tasks? There was some other competent ninja in this godforsaken village, wasn't th-

"AH! I know you, Nakitama-sama! I have laid eyes on your youthful form before! Ah yes, I remember it very well!" His thoughts (inward whining) being cut off with this exclamation.

"I don't even know who the hell…heck you are!" Shin was arguing with Lee, which, in Sasuke's opinion, was like arguing with a wall.

But if Lee said he remembered…It didn't seem like it, but Lee had the best memory out of the all the ninja he'd ever met. When asked how he remembered these things, he spewed some worthless crap about a youthful mind and body. (2)

The stupid beast could tell you the color of your socks a year to the day. It annoyed him, but he was valuable on missions.

"I do so! April 1st, 2 years ago! You were lurking behind a cart watching the dazzling Sakura-chan and not as great but equally amazing Ino-chan talking to the brilliant man that is Iruka-san, while Sasuke-sama stood idly by! I was watching because I was afraid you might be hatching some dastardly plot to steal away my Sakura-chan!" Lee struck a pose, flashing a bright smile at Sasuke.

Sasuke, who wasn't sure whether to puke or listen further into this conversations. He didn't remember one instance in which Lee's memory had failed him.

"Well, I wouldn't remember then," Shin sat down with a huff, eyes slit and arms crossed.

"Ah! I somehow managed to be ignorant of your circumstance! Is my youthful mind failing me? I must do 100 laps around Konoha's gates to rejuvenate my mind! Farewell, Nakitama-sama, Sasuke-sama!" With a salute and a wave, Lee was gone.

Sasuke flopped back on the couch, staring at the ceiling with the utmost contempt for existence.

O.O.O.O.O.O…..

Sasuke was thinking. And waiting. And inwardly whining.

That party, _The _Party, was tonight. The party he would have otherwise, if he'd had a choice, skipped. The only reason he couldn't be an anti-social loner tonight was the boy upstairs, dressing in a no doubt _ridiculous _costume spawned from the minds of horny fan girls.

'I have to remind myself…' Even in thought, Sasuke had a sardonic tone, 'Why I am doing this. It's training.'

This was _gruesome _training. In fact, it was horrib-

"So how do I look for my first Halloween?"

Sasuke's mouth dropped open.

There stood Shin, orange Capri's hanging so low on his hips that it revealed the intricate markings trailing up his stomach into his black sleeveless turtle neck. The turtle neck that conveniently stopped above his navel. There was a necklace with charms hanging on it, much like the ones around each ankle, just above the clunky black boots with the orange laces. There was an orange scarf draped over each of his elbows, seemingly to huge, but Shin seemingly could carry it perfectly. To top it all off, the idiot had fox ears with small loop earrings and a tail was attached to the belt that did nothing to keep his pants up. There was even a false fox ANBU mask hanging off his neck!

Sasuke let his eyes trail up Shin's body with the barest hint of a glare, when they reached his face, he froze.

'…BlueeyesNarutoBlondeFoxNarutoscarsfaceWhydoesShinlooklikeNaruto!'

Rather bright blue eyes stared at him mischievously, oblivious to Sasuke's inner turmoil. Shin blew the shaggy blond hair that was resting in his eyes up, joining the rest of the spikes that made up his hair. He stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, face stretching the 3 painted on scars that resided on each cheek.

He jerked his face to the side, cursing with his mouth set in a thin line, "Go change your eye color, ahou." He spoke tightly, arms crossed in front of him. "Now."

"What the hell! No! Why the hell would I! It's cool!" Shin sounded pissed, but Sasuke wouldn't look at him now if he had a chance to kill Itachi.

"Shin." He stopped his ranting momentarily, blinking. "I'm not going anywhere with some Dobe-Wannabe." Understanding dawned on Shin's face, and Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief when he left, rubbing his temples.

"Hey, S'uke!" He heard the voice ringing throughout the house, and his fingers stopped, hands dropping to his side. He looked up, annoyed and eased now that Shin's eyes were their normal green color. "You go get dressed now! Sakura-chan and Ino-chan are waiting at their house, you know!" Shin was grinning at him, scars still painted across his cheeks.

Needless to say, Sasuke padded up the stairs. He was not going to face those damn harpy's wrath.

Minutes later found him scowling in front of the mirror, sharingan spinning leisurely. How the hell was he supposed to move in this? It was impractical!

Though, most of his fan club would be dropping dead due to blood loss, really.

Just like his old outfit, the neck billowed out so it could almost cover the bottom half of his face.

That was where the likeness stopped, though.

The sleeveless top having fishnet sewn in where the sleeves used to be, the material hooked around his middle fingers enough so it covered his whole arm. The top, much like Shin's, stopped above his navel, the only thing keeping his stomach from being completely bare was more fishnet. Black pants that barely managed to hang onto his hips, and even though the pants themselves were baggy, they were tucked into Sasuke's normal leg wrapping and sandals. To top it all off, how the hell was he supposed to move with all this red ribbon hanging over him!

Don't even _get _him started on the wings…

The instructions had specifically said to use chakra to keep the black wings _glued _to his back. It was an easy task, but…but…

Did he have to look like such a frickin' poster boy?

He snorted, ready to tear the whole outfit off and throw it away, Shin be damned, when said boy walked in.

It was the artificial blonde's turn to let his jaw greet the floor, it seemed.

"Sasuke…" He seemed in awe, and Sasuke winced, dreading the effect the ensemble would have on his fan girls. "That's…Wow…You look…awesome." Shin? At a loss for words? Pfft.

"An?" Sasuke eyed him, eyes and voice absolutely dripping sarcasm. (3)

"Yeah! Hell yeah!" Shin was grinning from ear to ear, something more then excitement sparkling in his eyes. "You're frickin' hot!"

Sasuke decided to ignore that particular comment.

"Come on. It starts in 15 minutes. We don't want to be late."

OoOoOoOoOo…..

"…"

Sasuke could feel his personal bubble being invaded. And he wasn't even _in _the house yet.

"This is going to be great!" Exactly the opposite of how he felt. The sharingan wielder took a deep breathe, eyes closing momentarily before he walked in.

When talking immediately stopped, Sasuke didn't falter. He didn't want to be arrogant, but talking _always _stopped when he entered someone's line of sight. Whether the adults be talking about the untimely destruction of the clan, or the children of how perfect he was, he was always talked about.

Always.

Tonight was different though, because as soon as he walked in, he was not the one being furtively glanced at, or outright stared at. No one was paying attention to him, a small miracle in itself.

He turned around, beckoning his charge to follow him, when he understood why.

Shin's eyes were closed in a giddy look, grin stretched wide enough to match a certain idiots' expression.

No matter what, no matter what anybody said, Naruto's ghost had not left the large village at all. It hovered in everyone's mind, trying to stop them from feeling guilty, from feeling anything concerning him.

Shin opened his eyes, confused, and everyone let out a breathe they hadn't known they'd been holding.

"What the hell's with this party! Everyone just sits around and stares at the people that walk in! How stupid!" Shin huffed, crossing his arms, and people held another breath, trying to keep from bursting out laughing. Slowly, the quiet stillness of the room bled into the talkative noise, music the background noise to all the conversation.

Shin bounded over to Sasuke, grin not outmatched by anyone. "Hey! Sasuke! Having fun?" If you called being molested by everyone he passed, yes, he was having a dandy time. Sasuke was actually going to say this when there was an interruption.

Shin cheered. Sasuke scowled. Neji smirked.

"Hey! Ne-ji-ji!" Shin threw an arm around the Hyuuga's shoulders, careful not to upset the white wings on his back.

The thing that annoyed Sasuke to no end was that those damn _harpy's_ had given Neji a costume the exact opposite of his.

Where there was black on Sasuke's costume, there was white on Neji's. Where there was white on his costumes, likewise, there was black on Neji's. Instead of red ribbons though, there were light blue ones.

How very _annoying_.

Even the white-eyes of that smug bastard added to the costume, just as Sasuke's eyes complimented his.

"You're just as hot as Sasuke!" Speaking of which, his tick was coming back. Dammit. He needed extensive therapy.

"I'll pretend that comment wasn't just said," Neji said dryly, looking down at them. Jesus, did this guy even have to act like him!

"You're just like Sasuke," Shin shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Now let's do something!" The fox-boy grabbed both of their hands, tugging them towards the direction of…somewhere. Sasuke jerked his hand back.

"I'm fine. Go ahead." He nodded at Shin, who looked rather sad before he grinned at Neji.

"Just you and me I guess!" Then he couldn't hear the idiot anymore, because it was too loud.

Sasuke sighed and padded towards the punch table. This was going to be a long night.

OoOoOoOoOo…..

Two hours or so later (He wasn't keeping track of time. He was to busy keeping track of people) he was pulled into the reason he didn't like to go to parties.

"Sasuke-kun! Come play truth or dare!" With every exclamation mark, Sasuke felt his doom drawing nearer. And Nearer…And Nearer…

He felt a hand grab his arm and forcibly tug it from the crossed position over his chest, pulling him over to a group of people. It was weird, Sasuke thought, how girls could gain super-human strength when it might get them a kiss from their crush, but couldn't defend themselves adequately in a life-or-death situation. (4)

"Yo, Sasuke!" There was a hand waving wildly from the other side of the circle he was now a part of. He looked, irritated when he saw Neji leaning against the wall behind the idiot, but chose to ignore it. The temporary blonde (as far as Sasuke was concerned, Shin had been born blonde) could hang out with anybody they wanted to.

"Now that we have Sasuke-kun, we can start!" Ino clapped her hands, smirking mischievously. "And since it's Big Forehead's," Everyone could hear a slap and a laugh that sounded suspiciously like Sakura's, "and my party, we get to go first!" She plopped down, cross-legged, next to Sakura, and they leant together, whispering and giggling.

_'How idiotic,'_ Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and instead stood on the outside of the circle, and he looked down, only to be met with a pair of bored eyes.

Sitting (more like lying on his back, much as he did when he was watching clouds) was Shikamaru. He held the air of someone who had been dragged into this game, much like he had.

He barely held in a laugh when he saw what Shikamaru was wearing. He'd probably pissed Ino off or something, because he seemed to be dressed _completely _in drag.

Well…Not quite drag. It seemed for this Halloween he was dressed in Ino's clothes.

"You shouldn't be lying like that unless you have something better under that skirt, Nara-san." Shikamaru donned, if possibly, a more bored expression, nodding.

"Obviously, Uchiha."

Really, Sasuke would have replied with something very witty but dry, but this seemingly insignificant comment distracted him.

"Shin-kun, are you gay?" Well, not _totally_ insignificant. Maybe Shin being gay was _somewhat _important. He was living with the guy after all.

"Hm?" The boy in question looked up, a confused look coming over his face. "What was the question?" Sighing, Sasuke dropped to his knees, crawling over to Shin and pinching his chin, tilting his face from side to side. Somewhere along the line, the other boy had become quit subdued.

"Shin, do you love boys?"

Green eyes looked at him through curved slits, a scrunched up nose and a tongue sticking out to meet him. He answered, "Yes. I _love _boys."

"Do you love girls?"

He was met with a similar answer. "Mhm. I love girls."

"Settles it. He's whatever you guys interpret it to be." Sasuke straightened up, sauntering back to his spot on the outskirts of the group. The girls squealed in delight, fan girls quickly emerging to the surface, jotting their names down on the fan club that was forming for Shin Nakitama.

"Ok, Shin-kun! You're turn to truth or dare someone!" The girls grinned at each other, secretly planning _something._

"Ok! Um…" As soon as he'd heard the idiot speak, Sasuke zoned out, mulling over other things otherwise occupying his mind…

OoOoOoOoOo….

This was the most boring and predictable game to ever be created on this earth is what the Uchiha decided. After he'd kissed every girl in the room, and there were even some girls kissing girls (at this, the guys whooped. He couldn't be bothered by such a juvenile event), people were beginning to get stumped.

"Huh…" It was Kiba's the dogs turn. Kiba dressing as a dog? Never would have guessed. Really.

Sasuke looked up, uninterested, before he paused. Kiba had the most intelligent look on his face he'd ever seen. That wasn't saying much, but _still._ This was Kiba. Kiba was like...Naruto. "Say, Shikamaru, do you like dressing up in Ino's clothes?" Sasuke blinked. That hadn't been suspected.

Shikamaru looked up, as unconcerned as Sasuke had previously been. "As much as I like being a ninja." Silence ensued. Nobody was sure if Shikamaru liked being a ninja or not…Sure, he was a genius and tried his hardest, but the lazy nin didn't like _anything._

"Yes or no answer, bastard!" Kiba growled at him. Shikamaru looked contemplative.

"No." This was said thoughtfully, and even though Shikamaru never was one to put to much thought into trivial things like this (or so it seemed) it seemed to have the desired effect.

"…Do you mean 'No, I don't', or 'No, I do'?"

"You guys should just give up," A chomp soon followed that sentence, and everyone knew who it was. Shikamaru smirked at the heavy set boy beside him. "Just like Shikamaru, it would be to troublesome to give a straight answer."

"Fine, since my truth didn't work, Chouji, I dare you to not eat for the rest of the night!" Chouji promptly dropped out of the game.

A few hours later everyone was ready to call it quits. It was nearing 12, but as Ino would say, that was _hardly _a party. She was desperate to keep everyone there, and what better way then too…

"I dare Shin-kun to sit in Sasuke's lap for the next ½ hour!" As expected, the more mentally-challenged of the two gave an indignant squawk, and the intelligent one cocked a brow, looking questioningly at Ino. Also expected was that everyone froze in their place before plopping down, interested to see if anything more…daring might pop up.

"I have to sit in that _bastard's _lap!" There was a firm nod, and Shin bit his lip. "But…but…he'll bite me in a completely non-sexual way!" Everyone giggled at that, and he stuck his tongue out. "I mean…He's mean! And…and…" As he was making up excuses, Sasuke grabbed his wrist from his position on the floor, dragging him into his lap. More then one pair of surprised eyes were staring at him.

"I never back down from a dare. _Never."_ He managed to grind this out while retaining his dignity, and people grinned, returning to the game while stealing furtive glances at the two.

And God…If Shin didn't stop squirming…Was it hot in here? Suddenly…Coal eyes widened. _Shit. _Years of being sexually repressed and it had to…spring up (Oh God, what a stupid way to word his situation) at the wrong moment.

Just as these thoughts invaded his mind, and Shin pushed back, and holy _fuck _was Shin doing this on purpose? He bit his lip, failing to hold a moan back.

"Hey, Sasuke-bastard! What was that?" Shin threw a look back at him, an expression of half-panic and half-amusement caught on his face. "Didja just _moan?"_

Inwardly, Sasuke was _terrified._ If it got out that the ANBU captain got a…problem because a guy was sitting in his lap, said captain was going to become a Missing Nin.

"You're heavy, ahou." Sasuke glared up at him, hoping his face wasn't as flushed as he thought it would be. "I've carried _bodies _lighter then you." It was true. He didn't have to tell Shin it was in bags, and they were mutilated beyond recognition. He didn't need to know that information.

"You're _rude. _Hey, Ino! I'll do 3 dares if I don't have to sit in Uchiha-bastard's lap!" She looked at him like he was crazy, because certainly _she _would sit in Sasuke's lap for eternity if she had the choice. Though, this was Shin, so…

"Sure, now hurry it up! We have to get _some _laughs out of tonight!" Shin scrambled off his lap, and by the time the green-eyed make made it too his feet, people were wondering where the hell Sasuke was.

OoOoOoOoOo……

6 plastic cups of punch later was when Sasuke realized he was drunk.

Honestly, how could he not have suspected it? It had tasted a little funny, it smelled different from normal punch, and by his fourth cup the walls were sort-of crawling back and forth.

He watched the dancers sway for a few minutes before he realized it was he himself that was swaying. He held onto the table, eyes squinting before he realized his wings were sliding off. He reached back to push them up, instead pushing his shirt up.

He closed his eyes, leaning to the left before straightening up. He tugged off the wings, stumbling when he pulled them to hard because he was still using chakra to keep them on his back.

He was definitely drunk. _Very _sure he was drunk.

"Hey, S'uke!" He jerked his head up, swore under his breath, and lowered it again. At least he hadn't seen Neji behind Shin…Who was beginning to look more and more like an orange blur.

Sasuke sipped his drink. Why was he still drinking? He knew it made him drunk. So why…? The first thing to go when drinking was reasoning and logic. Maybe that was it.

He took another sip.

His throat was itchy. Absentmindedly, he scratched it, staring at the boy before him.

"You're freakin' _drunk?_" Why was Shin's voice awed? "You mean you couldn't taste it? The punch was spiked!" Tan hands wrapped around his cup and gave a little tug, and willingly, he let go.

"I know I need to go home." Uchiha's did not second guess things. Even while drunk. "I am drunk."

"You _think _I haven't noticed?" He heard Shin mutter this under his breath. He opened his mouth to say something witty, but all that came out was a choked noise. How had they gotten outside so fast? He stumbled, gripping onto Shin tightly.

"And you're heavy, you bastard. You better love me in the morning." He veered to the side, only to be righted by the other boy. "Hey, even I had a few drinks, but what were you _thinking?"_ He was thinking that Shin's hair smelled very appealing at the moment. He wasn't going to tell him that. Nope.

"You're hair smells good." Yeah, he was still thinking that, wasn't he? He looked out the side of his eye, groaning when the action made him dizzy. He did catch the surprised look on Shin's face though.

Damn.

"You smell like Naruto." Why was he continuing? He was reaching the point of no return. At least he could chock it up the drinking.

"That's…nice." Shin was eyeing him warily, wondering what the hell he'd done to deserve a drunk Sasuke Uchiha. Maybe he'd killed a kitten.

Why the hell was he contemplating whether or not Shin had killed a kitten?

"We're at your house." Shin stated this after a few seconds, uneasily, before he decided that he would walk Sasuke up to his house, maybe even to his room. "Have keys?"

"If I do, they're under the deck. And I am in no condition to walk down the stairs, find the ledge on fifth board from the right, walk back up the stairs, or put the key in the key hole." Hey, just because he was drunk didn't mean he didn't _remember _things. He just recalled them after small intervals.

"…Right." Considering Sasuke's keys were tied to his wrist with a lace, he obviously shouldn't have recited where the emergency, in-case-I-can't-shinobi-my-way-in, keys were.

Double Damn.

After they'd conquered the stairs and successfully got Sasuke to sit on the bed _without _further injury, Sasuke wasn't sure he could like Shin anymore then he did now.

"Want some aspirin and water?" Now he was sure he'd found his soul mate, unless it was the alcohol talking. Maybe. Probably.

Sasuke nodded, regretted it, laid down, sat up, and reached for the waste basket. Somewhere during this time, Shin had returned. "Do…" He struggled for a few seconds. "You have…aspirin and water?"

A hand held out said items, and he grabbed them gratefully, throwing the pills in his mouth and downing the water in one gulp, which turned out to be a bad move. He coughed, leaning over and pounding his chest. Why him?

"Hey…" Shin sat down, alarmed, and started rubbing his back. "You okay? Sasuke?"

He nodded, eyes watering and wondering where Shin had got the water. It certainly _tasted _like water, but as his abilities with detecting strange liquids had shown, it could have been lemon juice at this point.

He sighed, sitting up after he'd finished his coughing fit. He sat up, watching Shin calmly. The green-eyed boy blinked. Speaking of which, his eyes looked _blue _in the dark. He let his eyes wander down the blonde's face, finally resting on his lips.

'I wonder…'

Before he knew what he was doing, his lips were attached to Shins, one arm on the other side of him and the other resting on his shoulder. He licked his lips, thinking momentarily before devoting himself to Shin.

'…just a small taste…'

OoOoOoOoOoO….

There! Done for the group -cackles- now to write the lime and post in I'll have the link up in my bio/journal when it's finished, so don't worry…

Yes, yes, I know, it's late, but I have a reason _why._

**Important Note:**

The reason I was two months overdue for this story is that I got an e-mail telling me to get off my ass and write. Honestly, I love each and every one of my reviewers, but when people think I have no choice but to write…

Well, simply, I won't write. So please, if you're going to mail me, make it for a review, or for constructive criticism, ok? Thank-you, and I appreciate it!

Now for the notes!

(1) I love Lee-san, I really do! He's like the…well, I like him. I'm not a lee-basher!

(2) I don't know why this note is here. But I'm just saying Lee has a good memory for plot convenience, and I wanted him to make an appearance, ok? -grin-

(3) "An." for lack of anything better, is like saying 'Don't I look good?' or 'I look really hot tonight, huh?' It's something smug guys say XD

(4) I don't believe this. Sasuke's just tired of Sakura faking being injured on practice missions XD

That's it! Again, gomen for the wait, and thank-you, if you're still reading! Ja!


	11. Of thinking and jealousy

…It's not taking me three months to update. Only 2 and 1/2!

WHOO. Actually, I've been MAJORLY into tons of different manga and anime lately. Blame them for my lateness -coughs-

Anyways, on to me old love, Naruto.

**Warning:** Boys love, yaoi, slash, shounen-ai, gay man love! Whatever you may want to call it. But it's there. And…uh…plot holes. Anyone want to donate plot hole filler cement?

Also, forgive the grammar and spelling mistakes, please. I seem to have lost my beta awhile ago!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own ANYTHING. I barely even own the plot, apparently -.-

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** sighs People, I asked you last chapter to not say anything that may even be mildly offensive, INCLUDING insulting my plot and/or story. To this particular person: I'm sorry if I'm going to lose you as a reviewer, and you are very important as one, but because of your comment I'm going to add extra Shin. At least 2 extra chapters. Ok? Ok.

**Dedications:** This one is to Isis-sama, cause she's kick ass in every aspect!

**_Bunraku:_ **A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show

**Bunraku**

_I throw some clothes on in the dark,  
The smell of cold.  
Car seat is freezing.  
The world is sleeping.  
I am numb.  
_

_Now that I have found someone,  
I'm feeling more alone,  
Than I ever have before.  
She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly.  
They call her name at 7:30.  
I pace around the parking lot,  
then I walk down to buy her flowers.  
And sell some gifts that I got.  
Can't you see…  
It's not me you're dying for._

_-Brick, Ben Folds Five_

The next morning brought an unwelcome revelation. Well, more like revelation_s, _but Sasuke's sleep-heavy mind could only comprehend one thing at a time.

A) His head was going to split open any minute now. Any minute now…

B) In accordance with revelation Numero Uno, his shinobi skills were way down. He couldn't figure out why, but his instincts were telling (screaming at) him that something was off tilt._  
_

C) He was freakin' warm. Warmer than usual warm. Plus his pants were around his ankles. He didn't know how this tied into the 3rd revelation but…

Wait.

His pants didn't belong around his ankles. They had never been around his ankles when he woke up in the morning, nor should they ever be around his ankles.

So this brought Sasuke Uchiha to his fourth and final revelation.

He'd done something he would regret last night. Something he regretted at this moment very moment.

In .3 seconds flat, the brunette had flown across the room, breathing heavily and eyes narrowed as he pressed himself against the far wall from the bed. He stared as the form on the bed slowly brought itself to a waking state, resting it's forehead on crossed arms so that it's upper torso was elevated.

Sasuke could have screamed when he saw who it was.

Green eyes blinked lazily at him, "S'uke, whatchur doin' in my bed?" My bed indeed!

"You're in my bed, idiot!" He glared accusingly at the other teen, thoughts still muddled by his trip across the room in that disoriented time after sleep. But he was wide-awake now, oh yes, _wide awake._

"…Oh." He blinked, moving to sit up and stretch his arms above his head. What…How could this dumbass…this _retard…_act like nothing had happened! Something had happened, and he didn't know what, but…

"Make yourself decent!" Sasuke averted his eyes to the floor, squinting to get the image of Shin's…_bits _out of his eyes. Honestly, he hadn't been staring…But it was hard not to look…

"I could say the same for you." The temporary-blonde retorted, pulling his…_Capri's _up so they almost covered his hips. Sasuke blushed furiously, pulling his own pants up so they nearly covered his navel. He crossed his legs, holding onto his calves and leaning forward in a defensive position.

Now to ask the question he was dreading the answer of. "Do…" He cleared his throat, paling even further, "Do you know what…we…did last night?" He stared at Shin's chest, refusing to meet his eyes. No, he was not doing that purposefully, he just thought he saw a fleck of something on it…

Oh.

Fuck.

He _did _see a fleck of something on it.

Shin blinked again, before staring at him. "Do…? What?" He mulled over this a little. Soon, Sasuke could _see _the light bulb lighting over Shin's head. Maybe that was because he'd turned on the light…

But the other boy had discovered the meaning of Sasuke's question.

"We…Hm. Well, I don't think we screwed, cause I'm not sore anywhere. Are you?" At the mute shake of his head, he continued. "And…" He reached down and rubbed his hands together, making a face when pieces of white fell down. "We probably just jacked each other or something."

First, when had Shin become so smart?

Second, how did Shin know this?

"Were you even drunk last night?" Sasuke's voice came out gargled at the possibility that he'd been molested and said molester had done it without the inhibition-eraser of alcohol.

"Hey, just cause I didn't have tons of spiked punch like a _certain_ someone," Sasuke glared, Shin flipped the bird. "Doesn't mean I wasn't drunk!"

Sasuke's eyes were still narrowed, and Shin flopped onto his back with a sigh, throwing an arm over his eyes before looking at the suspicious teen across the room. "Look, Sasuke, I don't want things to get weird between us…"

"Too late, ahou." He was standing now, arms crossed and back pressed against the wall. He stared down at Shin on his bed, and mentally he vowed to throw those sheets away. Or burn them.

Shin shot a glare of his own. "Look, Sasuke!" He exploded, sitting up, arms above his head before coming to a rest at his side. "I'm sorry if you hate the thought of doing _anything _with me," It was Uchiha's turn to snort. "But I actually _like _you, and if it makes you happy, I will pretend this hasn't happened! I won't tell anyone if it makes you happy, because you are the first person I remember I trust!"

Shin got to his feet, movements spastic and jerky. "I'll let it go if you do, ok? Ok?" He turned to him on his way out the door. "I'll never mention it ever." He padded out the door, and distantly he heard the shower running. He could have been there an hour, minutes, days…

"I'm going to Neji's!" A holler, a slam, and the house was completely silent.

There was no sound. Complete and utter silence.

That wasn't true. Sasuke could hear his hate.

OoOoOoOoOoO…..

"Tsunade-sama, I'd like to go on a long mission." His hands were splayed on her desk, on some papers she was (not) working on, and he stared down at her. He'd known her for a long time, so she would let him do this, wouldn't she? Even if he had to explain why, he would get out of this place for awhile…

"And why the request, Sasuke-san?" She tilted her head, chin resting on her hands as she leaned forward. "Any special reason?"

He paused, shaking his head slowly. Actually, she didn't _have _to know. He was a good liar, he had to be. "I just need a break."

"A break from what?" She shuffled her papers, leafing through them. The blonde pursed her lips, scanning the sheets before peeking up at him. "Since the Chuunin exams start in a week, I'd like you to be back at least 5 days before they actually start, because as you know, the Kage's are going to be gathering here. Also, you have an assignment, remember?"

"…" Stupid exams. Stupid assignment. Stupid genin.

"I'll be nice and let you go on a two day mission though. You do know you'll have several ANBU following you?" He nodded. Nobody trusted him yet. They just trusted him to be powerful. "What kind of mission would you prefer? Lot's of action, I suppose?" Another nod, and she smirked and handed him a piece of paper. "There you go, Uchiha-san. See you in two days."

He have a half smile before disappearing in the customary cloud of smoke.

OoOoOoOoOoOo….

"Hey, Sasuke! Wait!" He turned at the gate, ready to run off when he spotted Shin running towards him, hands waving and a hesitant grin on his face.

Should he even wait…?

He stared impassively as Shin caught his breath, hands on his knees and looking back when Neji appeared behind him, arms crossed and staring off to the side to offer them something of a semblance to privacy.

"Sasuke…" He sucked in a breath before standing up, looking at the expressionless boy before him, "Sorry for not coming to see you sooner, but…"

"Hm?" Something of a question, or a prod for him to continue.

"I'll see you later. Come back home safe, ok? I'll be waiting." Shin threw his arms around Sasukes' neck in a form of an awkward hug.

He froze, becoming stiff in the embrace and staring over Shin's shoulder. Maybe, just once…he could care…?

Sasuke uneasily did the same, flushed because people were around and he barely ever did something like this, much less _touch _someone in public.

His track of time was screwed up, because when Shin pulled away it seemed short of an actual, real hug, but he didn't mind in the least.

"…" He waved, and he was gone, holding onto the image of the other teen's smile.

OoOoOoOoOoOo….

The only sound in the large clearing was his heavy breathing. Not even the birds dared to sing.

Mission accomplished. Assassination, complete. He was satisfied, drained of all resources and confident that he had killed everyone and everything that was a threat within a 25 mile radius.

A sigh, and he retrieved a canteen from his back pouch, scowling when the last remains dripped out through a large hole in the center of it. Great.

There was a rustle, and a soft voice called out, recognizable and deadly.

"Hello, little brother." He whipped around, eyes narrowed and the only kunai he had left clutched in his left hand. Coal eyes met with Mange Sharingan, and he saw red, and he could hear the chidori chirping in the background of the silence…

"_Itachi." _He ground this out from between his teeth, spitting the name as if a vile word not to be spoken. There before him stood the one man he had sworn to kill…And who was that?

In fact, there was someone standing beside his brother. This person was a lot shorter, and wearing the uniform of the organization the older Uchiha was in, hat pulled low over his eyes and collar of the black coat turned up. He assessed this…person was not a threat. His hands were in a seal formation though, so he filed that in the corners of his mind. Temporary information that may be dangerous…

He stopped.

All he could see in the gap between the hat and the coat were blue eyes. Familiar, wide, blue eyes.

He tore his own away, leveling his gaze with Itachi's constantly-amused one, eyes slit to a dangerous point as he activated his own bloodline limit, satisfied that so far, he was on par with Itachi.

Except for one thing.

"Where's your little partner, hm?" He mocked Itachi, as he did not need a partner. He'd learned everything about the Akatsuki…Their ranks, their limits, their abilities….

Orochimaru had been good for _something._

"Kisame?" Itachi raised his chin at the question, looking beyond Sasuke. His hate coiled in his stomach, and he made a quick check behind him. The bastard was _mocking _him. "But it isn't him you should be worrying about. It should be Naruto here you worry about."

The shorter figure looked startle, eyes wide and staring at Itachi, though he maintained whatever he was holding. Sasuke was staring, eyes impossibly big and chidori still making noise and he couldn't think.

"…Naruto?" He choked, not believing whatever he had heard.

Blue eyes shyly met his own, "Hi, Sasuke-_chan."_ He could feel the grin under the cloak, and he knew. He knew, and he thought, and he could not comprehend.

So he rushed forward, and everything faded out to the screams of the ANBU team following him.

OoOoOoOoOo…

It took awhile for Sasuke to figure out where he was. He blinked slowly, before scowling deeply.

_'Hospital.' _registered in his mind, because he'd been here more times than he could count, and he was beginning to detest the white ceiling and sterile smell that wafted on the air in the building.

He turned his head as the door opened, not surprised, but mildly disappointed when Sakura appeared, tray in tow and smile on her face. "Sasuke-kun! I'm sad to see you in the hospital again…But I'm glad I can see you, it's been such a-"

Sasuke glared at her, "Sakura, stop it." She instantly closed her mouth and nodded. "Where's the ANBU who followed me? Did they get him? Did any die? Why did I pass out? Which jutsu's were in effect? Where's the detailed report?" He tried to ask more questions, but she was holding up her hands in a submissive gesture, as if telling the Uchiha she gave up. He shot her an annoyed look, but remained silent.

"To answer each question, one sentence will do." The kunoichi placed all of his medicine on the bedside table, before continuing. "All the ANBU are dead by use of Mange Sharingan, Sasuke-kun." She looked at him, disappointment shining clearly in her eyes, "You have been convicted of this crime, and will not be allowed out of Konohagakure, as you will also be doing work without pay. The only reason you're not in jail is because of your status, and it would be useless because without a doubt you could and would pay the bail fee."

"What!" He ripped his covers off, stumbling out of bed only to sink to his knees in pain, surprised when he coughed up blood. "I…" He coughed again, doubling over and holding his stomach. "It wasn't…" The floor felt cool against his forehead. "Itachi…and…Naruto" A gasp. His voice faded out as he slumped to his side, the last words he heard startling and angering him.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun…" She sighed, and he closed his eyes, slipping into the dark yet again. "I'm so sick of your excuses…"

OoOoOoOoOoO…..

Sasuke's eyes adjusted to the harsh light, and he blinked, squinting and rolling his head to the side to take in his surroundings. His memory was still foggy, and the last thing he remembered was a smiling face….

He gasped, shooting up only to cry in pain, falling back to the bed and shivering. He arched his back to raise his shoulders off the bed, screaming silently in a way that was painful to watch. He panted as the pain subsided, vision swimming into focus.

"Subconsciously, you used chakra, Uchiha-san, and those restraints around your wrists and ankles are specially made to deliver a rather painful backlash." He looked to his feet, embarrassed and enraged that Tsunade had seen him like she had, full of pain and anger. "You're in a special intensive care unit, because we have ANBU accounts that you tried to attack Sakura-san yesterday afternoon, even though she adamantly declares that you were just getting up."

Sasuke stared at her, eyes cool even in the face of these accusations. Tsunade continued on, oblivious to the killing intent aimed at her. "Sakura-san briefed you on your charges, didn't she?" He nodded, and she acknowledged this with a brief tilt of her head. "Added onto those charges will be an attempted attack, though it will do little but add a couple of months onto your sentence."

Finally, he spoke up, voice gravelly from disuse and sleep, "I didn't do that. I didn't do any of it." She looked thoughtful, and he continued. "It was Itachi." She nodded sagely, and he was surprised _she _wasn't surprised. "Tsunade-sama, _Itachi_, _a missing nin, _is in the vicinity of Konoha! He has his partner and Naruto! Naruto's in the Akatsuki!" He struggled against the bonds, gritting his teeth against the pain and satisfied when he heard a crack, right hand freed. "Tsunade-sama, _Naruto's alive."_

There was a flash, and Sasuke's hand was nailed down again, literally impaled through the wrist . He looked up, startled and eyes hazy as he felt the tears dripping on his bleeding appendage. He looked up, voice silent because he wasn't even able to comprehend what was happening. "…?"

"Sasuke…" Tsunade was close to crying, head bent as if praying, "8 families have lost their sons and daughters. 8 more families to hate you, Sasuke! Don't you get it? Stop making…" She clenched her teeth, tightening her hands around the blunt pole impaling Sasuke's wrist, "Stop bringing back the dead, foolish boy."

He stared at her hazily, face paler then normal, even as she healed the wound she herself had caused. "I'll be back tomorrow. We'll release you then."

OoOoOoOoOoO….

He was up by the time she came around, and he heard voices conversing behind the locked door. The brunette closed his eyes as she walked in, leaning against the wall of the bed.

"I see you broke the restraints," Tsunade commented idly on this before pulling up a chair, sifting through the file in her lap.

"Did you expect less, Tsunade-sama?" He watched her coldly, no familiarity considering what had happened just the evening before. "I didn't think you thought I was like those seven ANBU guarding my room."

She recognized his words by waving a hand, and he looked at her in annoyance before she continued. "You do know that in an hour and a half, you're due for the job at the school? Shikamaru's already there, and he's under your command, Uchiha-san.." Sasuke glared at her from behind his bangs, before nodding and throwing the covers off.

Something screamed for attention in his mind, and he spoke when he realized just what. "Was Shin under Hyuuga-san's care all the time I was gone?" His evened his gaze out, eyes cool but urging her to answer quickly.

"I could find out," She said thoughtfully, biting her lip before nodding and flashing him a grin, "But you have a job to do, Uchiha-san, and I suggest you get there soon."

"If you get out of my room, I can be there in less then 15 minutes, Tsunade-sama," He watched her stand up, and she smiled at him.

"Alright, Uchiha-san. Have fun babysitting." She walked out, and Sasuke was left with his loathing.

OoOoOoOoOo…..

Sasuke, it seemed, got annoyed a lot lately. Especially when people were _late._

He was patient, of course he was. You got patient when your teacher was Hatake Kakashi, your old teammate was a girl that tried to impress you, and your guy teammate was an annoying blob of sun.

But Shikamaru being late? After Tsunade had told him that said man was already there?

That, _in fact, _was very irritating.

"Uchiha-san, you must be losing your touch." He looked down, aggravated at the small 12-year-old a couple inches shorter than him before he realized who it was, "You should be changing soon, as there are some kids who like to avoid the rush."

"Shikamaru, go stand at your post and cast the stupid illusion," Sasuke ground out, turning his back to the shorter version of his partner.

Sasuke thought for a few moments, trying to decide what his Henge would look like…

It only took him a few seconds, and soon he was joining Shikamaru beside the fake examination room door. The brown-haired shinobi looked at him, amused and slightly curious before turning to the door, in which a team of genin had already walked through, looking unsure.

He threw a cocky grin at the three, looking much like the 12-year-old he was impersonating. "You guys better turn back now, 'cause you sure as hell ain't gettin' past us!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo……

So far, only three teams, in the last three hours, had furtively left, most likely to move one floor up.

What the hell was Konoha coming to? With the war too, there was no doubt that this stupid village was going to crash and burn!

He growled silently, deflecting another attempt to get past them with ease. The crowd around them had grown, and he smirked cockily, hands behind his head, and he started babbling, telling them how weak they all were.

Shikamaru was doing very much the same, randomly throwing in tidbits and snaky looks at the few closest to him.

_"Hey, he looks like that retard that ditched a few years ago…"_

Sasuke's ears pricked up, and Shikamaru was undoubtedly listening in on these two genins conversation as well.

_"Yeah! 'Cept he don't have those stupid scars…"_

Sasuke continued talking, boasting, also feeling guilty because they were, indisputably, talking about him.

He _had _stolen his appearance from Naruto, after all. Right down to the smallest detail.

_"Hey! I'll tell you something that Dad told me, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, ok! He said he'd get in trouble, but it's real cool top secret info!"_

Now Sasuke and Shikamaru were listening, both having fallen silent at the mention of top secret info. The group was still tittering, and these two wouldn't have stood out at all if they hadn't mentioned Sasuke's Naruto-Ness.

_"'Kay, sure! I promise I won't tell anyone! On my honor as a shinobi!" _The kid had the gall to _laugh, _and Sasuke grit his teeth, hand tightening on his kunai though they had been told specifically to _not use weapons._

_"'Kay, but you know that blond there, the one that looks like the traitor?" _

Both ANBU had been able to locate the two boys in the crowd, though neither could see them without risk of exposure. Shikamaru surreptitiously placed a mirror above all of the children's head, so both he and Sasuke had a clear view.

_"Yeah, the one who looks like the village idiot." _A bark of laughter before he motioned for his friend to continue.

_"Well, you know the Kyuubi that attacked 16 years ago? We just held a festival to honor the ninja who died for it, so you know the demon fox, right?" _There was a nod of affirmation, before the boy continued.

The silence was jarring in Sasuke's head before the sentence was uttered. He saw red.

_"Well, the Kyuubi never died, he was sealed in that stupid blond!"_

_"I HATE him!"_

Sasuke hadn't even realized he'd released the jutsu, hadn't even comprehended the fact that he had the two kids at kunai point, pinned against the wall, until he felt several ANBU all softly touching the points of death on the human body. He closed his eyes, willing the sharingan away.

"I'm sure, Uchiha-san, you realize your rights as a shinobi and what happens if you violate the shinobi code." The voice was soft, and fuck, it was Kakashi, speaking formally as if they'd never known each other.

He nodded, closing his eyes and standing submissively, arms hanging loosely as he allowed himself to be led away.

Shikamaru scowled. Figured that Uchiha bastard would leave him to clean up all _his _mess.

How troublesome.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo……

While all this had been happening, Shin had been glad to escape from Neji's clutches for the moment, sore and tired. He didn't care if he would get in trouble, being in the company of one person for more then a week on end was annoying, and he knew the Hyuuga felt the same way, even if he wouldn't admit it.

Which was why he snuck out when the pretty-boy had been sleeping. Ha. Where was his shinobi skills _now, _huh?

In fact, all his slyness was making him hungry, and even if he was tired, his stomach was growling…Which was something he should take care off. But there was only that Ichiraku place around here…

He wrinkled his nose. Ew. Where else to go?

While he was submersed in his unquestionably deep thoughts, he hadn't noticed the crowd gathering, nor had he noticed the procession that surely signaled the arrival of some very important lord, or something of the like.

"Hey, ow ow ow!" Being shoved onto the street was not nice. Being shoved onto the street in front of a very tall, very murderous-looking redhead was, typically, worse. The crowd tittered, looking surprised and excited at this new development. A newcomer, blocking the Sand Kage's path?

"Come on, buddy, help a guy out, would you?" Shin held out his hand, green eyes looking defiantly up at this new arrival, who in fact, looked very surprised that someone would offer a hand to him, even if it was an ask for help.

_Especially _in a non-life threatening situation.

The redhead looked mildly off put before reaching down and pulling him up roughly, and Shin moved to thank him before he realized that said man was not letting go. "Prepare a room for me. None of you are permitted to accompany or monitor anything I feel the need to do."

With that, Shin was dragged away, the other man ignoring his protests and the villagers ignoring his cries for help.

OoOoOoOoOoOo…..

"At least tell me the name of my rapist!" Shin moaned in disgust, flopping on the rather comfortable bed he'd been thrown on, and he risked a glance at the elaborately dressed man, finding himself fairly adoring the hat.

"Naruto, drop the act." He blinked up at the angry looking male, shifting so he was leaning on his elbows.

It took a few moments for the name to register, but when it finally clicked, hr growled, throwing himself to his feet. "How come everyone thinks I'm this Naruto kid? I've never met the stupid idiot in my life, so how the hell am I supposed to be him? Am I really that good of an actor?" The shorter of the two huffed, crossing his arms and glaring.

"I'm Gaara, Naruto," He was speaking softly, advancing on the brunette, eyes focused on him like there was never anything more important. "Don't you remember me?" Those eyes were chilling, but captivating, and Shin didn't resist when Gaara grabbed his hand, pushing their palms together.

"I know you have to be Naruto," Green eyes looked at Gaara inquiringly, and the redhead started explaining, all the while pulling his hand away from Shin's, looking like he was pulling something. "Because Shukaku…"

"Calls to Kyuubi." He jerked, and hanging between their hands were transparent strings, red in color and barely visible. If you squinted, you could see two actual reds moving together, sliding against each other as if grappling.

"I…" Shin looked helplessly up at him, not paying attention to how different his own chakra was from the chakra he'd seen on Sasuke or Neji. "I don't know what it is, o.k.? I don't even know if I've ever been a ninja or anything either!"

Gaara was staring at him, green eyes revealing nothing to the confused teen before him. "You wanted to be Hokage."

"I don't even know if I was this Naruto kid, o.k.! I doubt you even knew me before I lost my memory, so screw off, Gaara!" He narrowed his eyes and backed away, promptly snapping the chakra cord connecting them. "Let me leave."

Said redhead stared at the vulnerable brunette who, subconsciously, was trying to make himself as small as he could. There was no smile in his eyes now, because he realized that if this was Naruto- subconsciously or not- He would be proud that he was here, and not try to fold in on himself. "I'm sorry, Nakitama-san," Shin looked confused that the man had known his name- He'd had one of his subordinates get the file and give it to him before they arrived, of course. "I'll be sure to mention your visitation, thank-you for your time."

Gaara turned, preparing to leave before he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned a cold eye, and surprisingly, the boy leaned up and touched his tattoo- It felt weird, he would admit. People didn't walk up and touch a demon's forehead regularly.

"You're not a demon, ya know…"He was speaking hesitantly, bright green eyes off to the side and a faint blush on his cheeks. "You'd be nice if you didn't think I was that stupid Naruto kid!" He huffed before turning around, as if signaling that the other could finally leave.

He took the hint, closing the door softly behind him and looking, annoyed, at the guards. "Research forceful amnesia, won't you?" More of a demand then a question, and he swept off, ready for Tsunade some inquiries of his own.

OoOoOoOoOo….

A frickin' asylum. They put him in the frickin' _asylum._

They'd said, "Oh, nobody will know you're here!" and they'd exclaimed, "It's for the better!"

He'd show them _for the better._

"Sasuke-kun, it's time to take your medication for the day."

It was useless to look up, with his eyes covered like they were. 'To prevent the Tsukiyomi' they told him. They were, of course, afraid of him. They'd always been afraid of the Uchiha's.

Speaking of afraid…

"Uchiha-san?" The voice had become more timid, a far throw from the boisterous and familiar attitude she had burst into his cell in. He snorted before opening his mouth, waiting and hating every minute of it.

It didn't take long for her to pop the two pills into his mouth, and he sipped the water offered to him, scowling and moving his hands to his lap.

He could _hear _her flinch. As if he could perform any jutsu's…There was an ANBU to his left, in the shadows, and he couldn't even move his hands to perform the seals, thanks to these damn stiff _gloves._

"I have a message from Hokage-sama for you, Uchiha-san," He tiled his head up, focusing on her as if he could see her, and he was satisfied that he could get a faint image. He could see she was trembling, too.

He would have _at least _three seconds to get out of that opened door, if he wanted to, before the ANBU would catch him.

He nodded, as if to tell her to speak up, and she took this as a sign, trying to keep the trembling out of her voice. "Regarding your question as to whether Nakitama, Shin-san was with an escort during your mission out of the city, she has responded with a reply to state that he was gone for 1 hour without any care or watch whatsoever, on his request." She bowed her head, continuing to rattle off facts and figures while Sasuke ignored her.

He'd gotten what he wanted out of the message, and he quieted his mind to calm the questions, the one's causing him to wince from the headache they were causing. He listened to everything but the prattling, from the ANBU's non-breathing to the voices of other patients in the hallway.

_"I can't believe Hyuuga-sama is dating the newcomer!"_

_"It's like a romance novel- The man with no past or memories has wooed the one from a prestigious clan!"_

_"Come on, you guys…"_

_"Oh, come one, Hinata! That's so…Wow! Hyuuga-sama and Nakitama-san…It has a ring to it!"_

He didn't even know what he was doing, really- It seemed he was becoming more apt to black-out when feeling extreme emotion. Next thing he knew, though, was that he had Hyuuga Hinata up against the wall, hand closing around her throat as he hissed threats.

"If you ever hurt Shin, I'll kill your whole clan." What was this burning, brutal sensation in his heart?

"If you ever cause him a sliver of pain, I will tear out your eyes," Why was there a vice around his heart?

"But because he's dating you, he must think you _worthy,_" He spat in her slowly reddening face, full of an intent he didn't understand. "So if you ever…" The other nurses were screaming for the guards, and the patients were screaming in glee at the idea of somebody being hurt, and the ANBU was whispering in his ear to _Let go, or I'll be forced to carry out extreme measures._

He slowly released his grip, aware what the pinprick had meant. He relaxed as he was dragged away, pulled away from the gasping Hinata who was trying to get something out of her throat, trying to speak.

"Uchiha-san…" She gasped, and he could see the words on the edge of his vision, "Nakitama-san isn't dating me…" His hearing was going, just like the rest if his motor functions, "He's dating Neji-kun…" He stared blearily, letting the words soothe him as he slipped back into the dark that he always seemed to relapse into.

The words weren't _that _soothing, come to think of it.

OoOoOoOoOoOo….

There, done for another chapter! At a measly 5,500 words or so…And as a prediction, I think this story will end around 15/16 chapters! Let's see if it comes true.

In other news…Well, there isn't any other news. I believe there isn't any notes either! Cool!

-pokes the review button, which is eating her hand.- I think it needs to be fed. Want to donate food?


	12. Of Dreams And Masks

See? Here's me, trying to update before the 2-3 month marker comes! Cheer and pray for me, cause I'm trying! We'll see if it works out by the end of this chapter…Eh…

Well, don't hope for /too/ much!

**Warning:** Boy loving each other up, much like my dog loves up random people's legs.

…And the grammar/spelling mistakes. A warning for them too…Should I add a warning for unoriginality too? XD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. If I did, the English dub wouldn't have the Naruto VA be…well, the Naruto VA.

**Important Notes:** Uh, I'm writing a plot for a cousinship! Yay! Plus I've resolved things with my reviewer(s) who didn't like where my story was going. D

**Dedications:** Kali Swifteye-san, Unen…uh…Naino-chan, and Isis-sama! Cause all of you deserve credit!

**_Bunraku:_ **A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show

**Bunraku**

_Yeah, so I'm already dead on the inside  
But I can still pretend with my memories and photographs  
I have learned to love the lie._

I wanna know what it's like to be awkward and innocent, not belligerent  
I wanna know how it feels to be useful and pertinent and have common sense…yeah  
Let me in  
Let me in to the club  
Cause I wanna belong  
And I need to get strong  
And if memory serves  
I'm addicted to words and they're useless.

-Let's get fucked up and die, Motion City Soundtrack

OoOoOoOoOo….

_"Sasuke, Don't come in," He's watching a door, speaking steadily to it, talking as if it was the only thing protecting himself and his life and his love and his everything._

_Of course, the other boy disobeys, sliding the door open with trembling fingers._

_Only now does he realize it's himself opening the door. Only now does he realize that there's a mirror to his right, where there never was a mirror before. But it can't be a mirror, because the actions are different. He, himself in Itachi's body, is smiling cruelly. The mirror Itachi (the real one?) is staring solemnly._

_"Father! Mother!" The boy stumbles in, on his knees, wailing to the high heavens. "Brother, Brother, Brother!" Three times the charm, " Father and mother are…Why! Why! Who the hell…this…"_

_The Itachi he is is still smiling, he's still laughing inwardly. The mirror Itachi is trying to reach out to console his brother. But not physically._

_They both throw a kunai, slicing their poor, poor brothers, his, shoulder. The boy winces in pain, admits a small cry of pain to pass his lips. The difference is that he is relishing in causing the one he loves pain. The Mirror is trying to tell Sasuke to leave, get away, now._

_"Foolish little brother," He says, and he means it. Mirror: Get away, run, little brother._

_Then he uses the Mangegakyou Sharingan to reenact the act of his parents death. He wants it to hurt him, the other is mentally screaming for the other to run, but slowly giving up. He does it to help, he swears. He wants to stop this, stop torturing his brother._

_Sasuke doesn't, though. "Why…did you?" A weak, girly voice, one that the mirror loves dearly but must erase._

_So the mirror lies, but Sasuke tells the truth, "It was to measure my capacity."_

_"To test your capacity…? That's all…that's…the only reason…you killed everyone…For that?" The boy is on his stomach, on the ground, and the copy wants to help him up, while he gloats over the small victory. _

_"It was essential," A small, quiet confession they can both agree on, and now they're the same person, for this one moment when they feel sorry for the boy, allow him to grapple with the change._

_"What…that's…" He knew the move coming before the other boy even knew he was going to attempt it. "Complete crap!" He rushes at them, both of them, and it's a small relief for the mirror when he trips, catches the eye of his father before Boy Sasuke spills tears._

_Then he runs, and both the mirror and the real follow, appear in front of the scared and frightened and devastated boy. "Yes…You can't be my brother…because…" _

_You're Not My Brother._

_-_

Sasuke wakes up, hands tied and eyes full of black glass.

Fucking drug induced dreams.

OoOoOoOoOoO…..

"Sasuke?" The voice was meek, quiet, echoed in the impossible large cell that housed himself and several ANBU.

He remained silent.

"Sasuke," the voice took on a more desperate edge, pleading as if trying to tell him to please, please answer back. "Do you know who I am?"

Of course he knew who he was. He was the reason he was here, the person who haunted his dreams for the past several days and made him want to live, _live _as if he weren't dead.

But he couldn't exactly say that, could he? "No." Said his voice, so apart from his own body and dried and cracked and nothing like it used to be.

He heard the slide of metal against cloth, and he hated how he envisioned those loosened kunai sliding across the tanned flesh of the boy talking to him at the moment.

The boy who was currently holding on, rather tightly, to an ANBU's hand, one with long black hair and a curse that radiated a rip off of the mange sharingan scenario.

He would have tightened his own hands together, but stiff gloves that prevented him from doings seals and jutsus and hurtful things were preventing him from doing so.

Fuck it all and Tsunade and Shizune and all of Konoha.

The pause between his 'no' and a reply was becoming unbearable.

"It's Shin."

'Oh, don't sound disappointed, Shin, I still dream about you and want to make it better even though when I hug people they end up with kunai's in their backs,' is what Sasuke wanted to say.

He didn't.

"…Hm." He cringed when he felt the green-eyed boy let go of Neji's hand in favor of walking over to him. He would not shrink back, he would not shrink back, he would not shrink back.

Sasuke moved back with each step Shin took towards him.

"I'm sorry Sasuke…I'm really sorry…" Shin almost sat beside him, almost touched his body (not his heart) with his hands, and for the first time he felt relieved for the guards because they prevented Shin from moving forward.

Nobody could touch the Uchiha, for he was a diseased, sickly man who could sully your virtue through skin to skin contact alone. This is what was said, in whispers that one could not hear or fathom nor did they want to.

Shin drew his hand back without the ANBU having to tell him too.

'It would figure, wouldn't it?' Sasuke's stray thoughts spoke, and he didn't even _know _what he was thinking and wasn't that a bad sign? "Shin, leave me alone, won't you?"

"No!" The conviction in his tone threw him off, made him shift back to the edge of his seat like the ones in jails, a supposed _bed._ He wouldn't open his eyes because he couldn't see, didn't want to see.

God, he hated these fucking glasses.

"Sasuke, why are you here?" Because of you. "Why did you attack Hinata-san?" Because she said something about you. He didn't mean to, honestly. It just happened.

_"Wow! Hyuuga-sama and Nakitama-san…It has a ring to it!" _Sasuke spoke to his mind, quietly. He didn't notice he was speaking out loud.

Shin's voice cracked, "Pardon, Sasuke?" How come he was so polite, now? Why not when he first _met_ Sasuke?

Well, Sasuke wasn't going to give him an answer at any rate. He didn't want to, wouldn't ever want to. He didn't even want to answer questions he was asking!

He sighed, slipping the kunai he had hidden among himself, throwing it at the ANBU in the top-left corner of the square room, satisfied when a thud remedied all his questions at the moment.

The ANBU attacked, Shin left, and Sasuke went to sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOo…………..

_"Sasuke!" The boy was screaming, running across the field of flowers, yellow hair a bright beacon against the backdrop of the purple sky, orange suit a reminder of life compared to the black ground._

_Sasuke picked a flower up, frustrated that it kept collapsing into red on his skin. So he produced a fake flower, a vivid, brilliant ersatz compared to the black and red field._

_Naruto smiled, out of breath for the two inches he seemed to move. _

_Sasuke waved from across the field, grabbing Naruto's hand and resting the faux flower in it. "Why are you so excited?"_

_"What's happiness mean?" Which was a weird question, because Sasuke hadn't even mentioned the weird and foreign word. Was it another language?_

_Naruto looked perplexed._

_He waved it off with annoyance, repeating the question in a different context, "What were you calling my name for?"_

_Naruto looked even more confused, "I'm not lonely, I'm not crying for you."_

_Sasuke stared at him, and Naruto was trying not to piss him off further. It wasn't working. "What did you want to tell me!"_

_Naruto glared stubbornly at him, and he could see the blue of Naruto's eyes from this far, the only blue in the meadow, "I wasn't saying that I need you!"_

_"Goddamit, Naruto!"_

_"Finally you ask what the I'm yelling for, teme!" Naruto grinned, Sasuke himself was puzzled, and the sky kept lazily spinning._

_Sasuke nodded at him, dumbfounded, and motioned for Naruto to come over to show him. 'Closer,' His eyes beckoned. 'Further,' his body said._

_Naruto did both. Now he was standing in front of Sasuke, close enough to touch._

_Sasuke reached out, and he could not touch Naruto. 'It's because you don't want to,' Naruto smirked._

_"See!" He proclaimed proudly, holding up the strange item that sobbed at people to not look, to ignore it._

_Sasuke stared at it. "What is it?"_

_"It's my mask!" Naruto had exclaimed proudly. "Wanna see how it works?" Sasuke shook his head. "Ok! Look, watch, see!"_

_Sasuke stared, annoyed. Naruto knew he was blind._

_He watched anyways._

_And gasped._

_"Where are you?" Sasuke screamed, glancing around with a feverish look. The boy in front of him was not Naruto. He was inhuman, yes. Black hair that floated with the unnatural wind, green eyes that glowed with a sadistic glee, hands flying about to show off his new body._

_"Right here! I've always been in front of you!" Said he, a voice filled with soft malice._

_Sasuke immediately accepted this new development, came to love him in the seconds he'd known him._

_"Lookit this, S'uke!" The boys voice said, holding up a similar mask, but this one drew the eyes to it, demanded attention._

_Sasuke ignored it. He grabbed it, delicately. "It's Naruto! Ain't it great?"_

_The black-eyed boy smiled brightly at the demon across from him, mesmerized by the swish of his tail and twitch of his ears. Slowly, he ripped it down the middle, taking great care, "This is how a heart breaks."_

_OoOoOoOoOo………_

"I'm clear?" The question was followed by complete silence, only broken by the shuffling of papers and Tsunade's sigh.

"There's a difference between being cleared and released, Uchiha-san." She said wearily, looking at him with tired eyes and pursed lips. Sasuke knew she hadn't pushed for him to be let out.

She only talked to him because she was the hold she still had on Naruto.

"To be honest, Hokage-sama, there's not much!" Even _he _was astonished to be let out after only, what, a month of incarceration? He'd supposedly killed something like 11 people (if you counted the ANBU in the cell), he'd attacked more people than usual, and he was still considered crazy.

Surely not even a fuckin' Uchiha could get off scot-free?

"Yes, Uchiha-san, there is. You're basically facing _exile. _First, all of your _offences,_" Tsunade spat the word, disgusting by the fact the elders had requested the prodigy be released. Honestly, people had lost their families! "Are all being put down on your record, so any potential buyers of our services will look at your file and decline you, _politely."_

He suppressed a snort. Some people liked the fact that you could disregard the safety of your teammates and complete a mission at any cost possible. Some even liked their shinobi a bit…well…psycho.

Not that he was calling himself psycho.

"Second," Tsunade looked annoyed that he was hiding a smirk. She could tell, of course. He wasn't smirking to be an ass…he was smirking because of her naivety! "Your fellow villagers won't trust you anymore. Some people will refuse to offer you services such as food or even utilities! You killed many people, Uchiha-san!" Did she honestly think he would die because he wouldn't have money to buy food, or some other mundane thing concerning funds?

Sasuke nodded, trying to care to soothe her.

"Lastly, though it shouldn't be…" She hated comparing him to a dog, but somebody should have taught him earlier on that he could not do anything he wanted. She snorted. They should shove his nose in it. "You've been demoted to class 2 as an ANBU" (1)

He nodded, understanding the logicality of this decision. Though the teen couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance with the decision. He still held some of the customary Uchiha arrogance, after all. He'd gotten to the top through his hard work alone. His prestige had probably held him back, just as his brother had.

The fucker.

"Who's the new ANBU captain?" Sasuke questioned, quietly with none of the remorse the blonde sannin had been looking for. She sighed, motioning to the door, "Shikamaru is now the class 1 ANBU captain." Sasuke looked up, face sour as the lazy leader waltzed in, sitting in a chair with as much grace as someone who had lost huge amounts of blood.

He knew what that looked like. It was very inelegant.

"You…every single one of you is bothersome, you know that?" The shadow-user huffed, looking through bored eyes at the two occupants of the room. He looked at Sasuke, eyes curiously blank. "I regret taking your position, Uchiha-san."

The brunette couldn't resist. "Why did you take it then, Nara-san?"

Said teen contemplated this for a mere nanosecond before deciding to answer, "I would rather have to work then having one of my friends killed." Sasuke's eye twitched the slightest, and there was a faint worry that Shikamaru caught it. "I won't tolerate it from any of the ANBU in the squad." He finished quietly, and this was when he knew he'd caught the slight breakdown of his barrier.

"Of course," was the sharingan wielders breezy reply, and he stood up, ready to leave even without the dismissal. He paused when the other male in the room raised his hand to stop him.

"You do know it was an Inuzaku clan member you killed?" Sasuke froze at this, if only at the mention of clan member.

"Who?"

"You're dismissed, Uchiha-san," The Nara propped his feet upon Tsunade's desk, oblivious to the seething man.

Fucking lazy bastard.

OoOoOoOoOoOo………

_'Uchiha-san,_

_Since you've been contained for some weeks, I'd like to invite you to a training session, Class 2 ANBU to ANBU. I'll meet you at training ground #2 at 1:00pm._

_-Hyuuga Neji'_

Pfft. First the damn Hyuuga tells him to be here without a way to refuse, then he shows up late?

He looked up, eyes squinting at the sun as he tried to discern what time it was. 1:15pm, and the prestigious _genius _wasn't even here.

Sasuke twisted, falling effortlessly into a handspring so he landed a few feet away. He snorted at the kunai, imbedded in the ground he was standing on moments ago. "Hyuuga-san, that was a pathetic attempt for any ANBU member."

"Oh, I was just gauging your reflexes," Neji said smoothly, appearing before the other man, movements not even stirring the leaf-riddled ground, "since you were contained for so long, I was wondering if your reaction time was slower than normal."

_"_There's no logical ground for thinking that," the brunette scowled at his counterpart, slowly uncrossing his arms in the Hyuuga tried anything else. "May I inquire as to why you are late?"

Neji looked amused, "I was trying to wake Shin up."

He barely had time to dodge the well-placed kunai above his right shoulder, opting to move to the left with a fluid step. "Uchiha-san, I believe that was an invitation to begin our fight.

Sasuke smirked. "I believe so," and pulled on the string wrapped around Neji's wrist, igniting them, and the man attached, within seconds. He readied for a counter attack, cautious but allowing himself to gloat, for it was _he _that had been in the damn prison, not Neji.

He nearly got hit as he rolled out of the way to dodge the log-trap placed above him. He cursed at himself for his arrogance as he spun into a standing position, two kunai in each hand to block the onslaught of his opponents weapons and fists.

Jump slight left, duck while turning right, dodge, parry, lunge, attack, twist in time to get away from that damn shuriken, shuffle back while bending down…

And never, ever, get hit. Just don't get hit.

He hissed as the kunai swiped above his left eye, just enough to open a wound. Fuck, he knew the injury location had been deliberate to, that _bastard. _How was he supposed to see with all the blood in his eyes? He scanned his head, thinking of all the lectures that Sakura had ranted at him. Head wounds bled worse…

He couldn't think right now.

And Neji was smirking at him, bloodline limit at full potential and still reaching out for more. The other man reached for the chakra point just above his elbow in his right arm and…

'_Ah…' _ He slid forward, confused and suddenly _tired. _Jesus, why was he so exhausted? Whenever he initiated his own family limit, the curse seal would activate, halving his chakra. That as ok though, since he was prepared for that and had enough chakra reserves to take care of anything up to an Akatsuki member…

But this? He wasn't prepared to feel this weary, this _dead…_

"Uchiha-san," Neji started to explain, and Sasuke swore he would never use the words 'soothing' and 'Hyuuga' in the same sentence again. "The 'hospital' informed me that the medicine administered to you," only now did Sasuke realize that he was leaning on the other mans' shoulder, but he couldn't summon up enough energy to care. "…has paralytic properties that will last several days from now that are primarily used when you achieve your bloodline limit."

He gasped for air, suddenly feeling that even though there was plenty of air, there was not possibly enough to support both of them. He sucked in greedily, lungs working at full capacity and it was _still not enough._

Those fucking doctors, giving him this damn medicine was just killing him. Saving him, right, why couldn't he breathe then? Or _move _for that matter?

"Fuck," Another claw for air. "You." He released his hold on the other man, opting to sink to his knees. "And your whole clan!" He snarled, regretting it when a feeling much like your throat being torn away from the inside consumed him.

"Well, Uchiha-san…" He saw Neji's knees out of the corner of his eye before quickly turning his eyes to in front of him. It felt like a migraine hundred-fold…

"We both know what this is about, really…" Of course. Shin. Always was about fucking Shin, and when it wasn't Shin it was _Naruto._ He'd always hated the bastard. He repeated that as a mantra in his head. _'Bastard, Bastard, Bastard, Bastard…'_

"If he is to ever leave my hands, Uchiha-sama…" Hurry up and stop talking, goldsmith, so he could pass out in peace, "It had better be willingly."

Sasuke closed his eyes, leaning forward and hoping he didn't land on something particularly sharp.

He just didn't care anymore.

OoOoO2 weeks lateroOoOoo…….

"I can't believe they would even consider putting us together on a mission after what just happened," Sasuke growled, flitting quickly from tree to tree, the other brunette right beside him.

"Tsunade-hime seems to have this small sadistic streak," was Neji's reply to his outrage. Didn't this man ever get flustered, or angry, for that matter?

They remained in silence after awhile, aware of the few enemy chuunin following them, but not concerned in the bit. They were _chuunin._ It wasn't their vests that egged them so, it was their ability. They could tell that they weren't deliberately leading them on with the noise…They were just noisy. The fact that they were not genin was even more a surprise!

Almost as if they were synchronized, the two stopped in a clearing, turning around to face their pursuer with a quiet ease only they could muster. They even had the nerve to cross their arms, a big no-no for a shinobi of any level.

"Um…Ok?" A voice called from the trees, and it was amazing that they couldn't pinpoint where _exactly _the voice was coming from.

"No traces of chakra," Neji muttered from beside him. Well, he'd be able to tell that if _he could use his fucking sharingan without being dizzy, thank-you. _"Nothing at all," was the second part of Neji's statement.

God he hated this man. Sure, communication was key if you were a ninja, but there was such a thing as pushing it to far.

Sasuke was so busy fuming about the injustices of the world that he didn't realize that their 'shadow' had stepped out from under the cover of the foliage, nor did he register Neji's unintelligible noise and slack posture.

"…Shin, what are you doing here?" Now that was what Sasuke registered.

"…Shin?" Cue Sasuke's own stunned reaction. "How are you here, it's a two day journey from Konoha!" They both stared at the boy, aware that there were no others around him, how come they had thought that earlier?

"Um…" Shin was flushed, hands shoved in his pockets, wearing his usual garb of cargo pants and black shirt. Normal, plain, not noticeable, and shit, why was this kid here of all places? "…I couldn't…Well, I kind of missed Neji and Sasuke!" He rubbed his neck in a embarrassed way, blushing to the tips of his toes.

They colored, before shooting a glare at each other, a silent, childish game of, 'He missed me _more _than he missed you!'

"You could have waited the two days it would have taken us to get back, couldn't you?" There was nothing pointing to the fact that this boy was not Shin. Naught, nada, nothing…

"Um…" Shin was touching his collarbone now, eyes half-lidded and looking at them as if they were the only things worth looking at. Well…they were. But the point was he shouldn't be looking at them _like that._

"I mean…I _missed_ you." Understanding dawned in Neji's eyes and he blushed furiously, while Sasuke himself was still left alone in the dark. Why was Shin repeating himself? Honestly, they'd heard the first time, they were shinobi, goddammit.

Shinobi didn't get distracted by such stup- Holy shit, what the hell was Shin doing?

Sasuke's mouth went dry and he swallowed, marveling at the sight of Shin's closed eyes and flushed face, one hand on his own hip and one running his fingers along his collarbone. He let out a small noise, and he noticed Neji trying to keep himself from running over there, and barely succeeding.

"It's just…" Another small noise spilled from his lips, and Sasuke answered with something akin to a sound of disbelief. "I…well…there was no one there to…" Shin touched his lips thoughtfully, other hand still noticeably on his hip. "_Be there,_ you know?" The words emphasized added to the effect of…well….Hornylusty Shin.

Sasuke had always know that his pants were tight, but not _this tight._

"Neji…I missed that thing you do…" He was totally red now, they all were, but at least _Shin_ was enjoying himself. "With the gentle fist…" He touched a spot under his ribs, softly and with a small, stuttering moan.

Sasuke shot a look of what could have been amusement at Neji, but the other was too enraptured to even notice.

It was almost to late when Sasuke threw the kunai, effectively stopping the dog creeping up behind Neji. "Hyuuga-san, I suggest you stop ogling your boyfriend," Sasuke cringed inwardly, amazed that he said it out loud. It was like admitting it. "And get protect the scroll from these two idiots."

Shin cackled, giving them a suggestive stare that sent all the blood…well, lower. There was a puff, and a boy standing much taller than Shin had ever been.

"You guys should have seen yourselves! Gaping like some idiots!" The teen laughed uproariously, arms crossed.

He didn't even know what happened when Sasuke picked him up by the scruff of his neck, eye twitching uncontrollably. He snarled at the boy, still shorter than him. "You know you could be arrested for what you just did?"

Neji was using the same lines on the dog, and it whimpered before releasing the jutsu to become a boy. "We didn't mean it that bad, honest!" The boy was still whimpering, not much of a change from his canine form.

"Hiruma! Kowaru! Where are you! Damn boys, running off like that!" At that moment (Luckily, for the two boys), and old man came barreling through the trees, stout and gray-haired and looking very much like any grandpa you'd meet in the ones.

A slightly _crazy _grandpa.

"You two idiot boys! Running from chores, huh? Trying to sneak off, huh? Well, now you know what happens. Ever time you shirk your duties you'll be caught by two ANBU and arresting without hesitation! Do you believe me now when I say that, huh!" The old man was playing this situation as a professional would play cards, using every opportunity to play the odds in his favor.

Sasuke and Neji twitched at the thought of being hired by this man to watch over two lazy boys.

"We promise, Grandpa!" They wailed loudly, struggling in the firm grip of the two men. "We won't, please call the ANBU off!" Apparently, their squad was used to instill fear in young children who wouldn't do chores.

They both twitched again, remembering the fairy tales of the boogeyman _they _had had when they were younger. They didn't want to be associated with Herman The Hairy Ninja, or The Man Under The Stairs.

They still hadn't let go of the two boys, nor had the old man ordered them to.

Neji hardly flinched when one kicked him in the shoulder.

"Now have you two learned your lessons?" They nodded vigorously, squirming and reaching for the ground with forlorn expressions.

Sasuke and Neji, in their apparent amusement, set the boys down when the man asked them to. They ran behind the old man, making faces when they were sure they were safe.

Neji smirked, adjusting the scroll and his mask before appearing behind them. They squealed loudly, running in front of the man…where Sasuke was.

Sasuke _loved _kids.

The old man continued chiding the kids, saying that since Konoha was just 2 hours due west of here, and he could have the ANBU here _anytime. _

Sasuke jerked his head up at the mention of the location, before interrupting the tirade the man was engaged in, "Two hours due west, nearest village for miles, am I right? The small village of Shinohata?"

The man paused, nodding sagely for the moment his mouth was slack.

"It's…December…So about…5 months ago, on August 16th, was there a boy here named Shin Nakitama, age 15? Black hair, green eyes, yay high?" Sasuke measured the exact height from the ground, hand level with where Shin's head would have ended.

The man was thinking, but the boys eyes had lit up, and they were waving their arms wildly around. "Nee-chan!" They crowed loudly, grins plastered on their faces. "Yeah! He said he was going to visit us!"

They looked at each other, bowing their heads in thanks before taking off to the confused cries of the children and the loud voice of the old man.

"Your snake isn't tight enough over your face," Neji commented, quietly and in a smooth voice.

"Your bird isn't doing so well," was the reply, just as quiet but with a deadly edge to it.

They nodded before slipping off in different directions, Neji to Konoha and Sasuke destined to search for the place where Shin awoke.

See, the funny thing about the snake and bird thing was the masks. When you went to get them assigned to you, they were usually tailored to your specific traits and personalities, as well as your past. That way, none were the exact same.

But what was even more hilarious was the fact that the guy who made them was a sadistic bastard.

The Uchiha and Hyuuga had gone into the building to get their masks at the same appointed time, as they were being christened as official ANBU the next day and must wear them.

As they'd gone up to the counter to receive them, the man had grinned up at Sasuke, malicious intent shining in his eyes, "Here you go, _snake."_ Then with a similar comment aimed at Neji, he had taken yelled that this station was closed, go to the next one or wait until tomorrow.

They'd both left white-knuckled, but with calm faces nonetheless.

Sasuke's only though had been, 'Well, at least someone hates me for what I've done.'

But now he couldn't find the cottage and there was no chance he would because it was midnight and the woods were ripe with enemy ninja.

Imagine that.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DAMMIT I'M DONE. YAY. BOOYAH.

But the notes before I finish celebrating:

(1) I have a system. Class 1 ANBU: Captain of all the ANBU squads. ALL OF THEM.

Class 2 ANBU: Captain of a squad.

Class 3: Normal ANBU. CAPTAINS PWNZ YOU.

NOW I SHALL CELEBRATE. YAY ME. I FINISHED.

Anyways, the date is…October 13. That's roughly 47 days (didn't check with the calendar) before I last updated.

Not to long, was it? Eh heh heh…Shit, I know, sorry! I know I take long to write!

But guess what? Guess!

…I got a job. Which means less updates, IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE.

Oh well, I'd like to thank all my reviewers for their support, they've helped a lot! So much, really! D But there's roughly 5 more chapters left! Yay!

Anyways, the customary plea:

Please Review, and please leave constructive criticism.

Yes, I have a _right _to be unoriginal, thank-you.


	13. Of Tricks And Christmas

Oh My God Guys…I'm sooooooooo sorry. Please forgive me for taking 4 days short a year to update! There's an explanation below to answer all questions.

Semi-Important: Ok, first I was without a computer for 7 months. Then I started a NEW job, as I had quite my old one after nearly 11 months of working there. And then I now have a baby (not mine) to take care of. The baby is my cousins! Cutest thing ever. Tons of other things have happened, but they are things that take up time in everyday life.

**VERY IMPORTANT:** I'm so sorry guys! I've almost completely failed you as an author! Please forgive me!

**Warning:** Generally boys loving each other. Mentions of sex of the NejiShin kind, and le gasp! Something else? But yeah. Also unoriginality and grammar and spelling mistakes.

**Disclaimer:** I really do wish that I owned Naruto. But I don't. Which is why I like Fanfiction. Sigh.

**Dedications:** To all those that have loyally waited for me! Thank you so much guys!

**_Bunraku:_ **A large scale Japanese puppet theatre. The puppets are operated by many people, and about 2/3 life size. The puppeteers are on stage and not hidden during the show

**Bunraku**

_I'm a waste of boy  
anti-master plan  
Been stuck inside this lonely room again  
You get paranoid  
see vultures circling  
one slip then down comes the final curtain  
Until, you come, into your soul again  
We'll be the worst of best friends  
Does it feel like Christmas in Hollywood?  
Doesn't feel like we're ever going to make it home _

Burn, baby burn  
Strung out on a wire  
Heart in a cage  
You're so full of desire  
You need, fast hands  
To deal with all the liars  
Bullet-Proof Skin to keep you alive…

-Bullet-Proof Skin, Institute.

OoOoOoOoOoOo…….

Sasuke was restless.

He'd already been back for a week (which was a long time, considering he was a (in)famous ANBU) and this fact didn't help him quell the nervousness creeping up on him.

Damn it. And the fact that Shin was staring at him was no help at all.

"What're are you looking at?" The brunette snapped, jerking the green-eyed boy out of his daydream induced stare. "Am I really that interesting?"

"No!" Shin scoffed, waving his hands randomly. "It's just that…Um…" Sasuke kept glaring, a look that would have sent anyone else to their knees, shaking and sobbing. "…I can't tell you."

"…and why not?" Usually Sasuke could hide his curiosity. Hell, he'd been doing so ever since he was a child, when a certain SOMEONE (names will not be mentioned because he didn't want to go into a fit of rage) had killed his family. He'd eventually figured out it was useless to just ask why. If he really wanted to know something, he'd just beat the shit out of the person who was withholding information.

But he couldn't exactly do that, in this case anyways.

"Well?" He arched a delicate eyebrow, oblivious to Shin's inner turmoil. "Are you going to tell me you want my body?" The Uchiha threw the other a snarky grin. So what if he was being a bit of a bitch? He had his rights, and besides…when wasn't he a bitch?

"…well, now that you mentioned it…" Shin didn't look uncomfortable at all, which was what Sasuke had been aiming for. Then again, he had forgotten the factor that Shin (used to?) liked him.

"Don't start," A warning, because even if Sasuke recuperated the feeling (which he did NOT) it would be dangerous to act upon. They both knew that. It didn't stop the occasional flirt…

Also, Shin had a boyfriend.

And shit, did Sasuke ever need to get laid.

"It's 9 o'clock," he broke the silence (finally), turning to stare at Shin. "Go meet with Hyuuga. I have things I need to accomplish, and I can't do them with your scrawny ass getting into my way."

The brunette had already stood up, and was on his way out when he looked over his shoulder, grinning. "So, do you like scrawny asses?"

Sasuke growled, and Shin left laughing.

About half an hour after the other man had left, he realized that the idiot had changed the subject without him noticing.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo……

"Sasuke-kuuun!" A high-pitched wail and Sasuke readied himself for the imminent enemy invasion. "I'm ready for our date!"

He blanked. Unless that was a new war cry…then he was lost.

As soon as he saw what it actually was, though, he was wistfully hoping for an actual battle. He was better equipped for a battle. Hell, he was better equipped for a war in which he was his only ally.

Shit. "…Ino." She looked at him hopefully, "…How did you get past all the traps?" Inner Sasuke laughed at her crestfallen look. Inner Sasuke then scampered for cover when she gained an evil look in her eye.

"What, there were traps! I didn't even notice!" She puffed up her already large chest, looking infinitely proud of herself.

"Shut up, Ino-pig!" Enter Sakura. Damn it. His day couldn't get any worse, could it?

(You think Sasuke, being a child of a massacred family and all, would learn not to think stupid things like this. It was law that once you uttered or thought that one phrase, things would get infinitely worse.)

"You know that Nakitama-san undid all of them for us," Sakura looked smug, Ino was staring at her like she was the biggest idiot in the world, and Sasuke looked murderous.

Ah, yes, they were quite a group.

"Shin had the ability of an ANBU to undo all my traps without my knowing, and at the same time not getting injured?" Sasuke was staring at the two girls flatly, who were, quite frankly, stunned.

"Um…Ah…" Ino was trying to think back, waaaaay back to 5 hours ago, in which Shin had told them the reasons. "He said that a) You had prints of each trap and how to dismantle them…"

He twitched. "You think that I would leave any evidence behind as to save someone, possibly an enemy ninja?" Ino shrunk a little, with no inner Ino to encourage her.

"Then he said," Sakura took up the blonde girls slack, staring at Sasuke boldly like only a friend of his could. "That Hyuuga-sama helped him out with some of them." The brunette had thought he'd gotten rid of the tic. Apparently not.

"That idiot cousin of mine stepped foot on my land without permission, and had the nerve to touch the device that are keeping people away?" Sometimes, even he wondered if he needed a psychiatrist. Then he decided that information could be extracted from anyone, even professionals, through the right tactics, and damn it, couldn't he pay attention to what was happening in front of him?

The lengthy time it took for Sasuke to sort through his ranting and discover that he was zoning out was the time that Ino and Sakura took to wait patiently, if not nervously, for his verdict.

"What exactly…" He spoke slowly, sitting up straight instead of hunching over like he was apt to do. "Are you two doing here?" Two confused faces stared at him, obviously without a clue as to what he talking about.

"…You invited me here!" In unison (of course), and they glared at each other, arms crossing simultaneously. The pink haired girl huffed, turning to the object of their misdirected affections.

"Sasuke-kun, don't you remember? You finally agreed to go out to supper with me!" She paused, glancing at the third person in the room. "…and obviously, you proposed this to Ino-pig too." Said kunoichi made a face at Sakura, opting for silence as her friend/rival explained. "It was barely half an hour ago! You said to meet at your house!"

"…I certainly did not." He figured he'd remember something like that. It wasn't hard, telling two girls to show up at a certain spot for the same date wasn't something that hard to forget, was it?

Obviously, he wouldn't know. He didn't invite random girls out at the same time.

"You really didn't, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura was going through something in her head, contemplating every angle. Sasuke could hear the gears turning. "Then…" Her eyes gained that professional air to them, and she stood straight up. "Ino, please go inform Tsunade-sama of the new development. Sasuke and I will search for the nin that's impersonating him. Let's go."

Not a nanosecond later, the room was empty, the only indication that there were people there was the T.V. shutting off.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo…………..

"Sakura-san, Ino-san," Sasuke spoke quietly, hearing the quiet reassurances to indicate that they had heard him. "Look for me, though with slight blemishes to the whole package, so to speak. God knows that you two would know every detail about me." A wry tone, referring to the crushes they so obviously flaunted. "When you locate the target, be sure to tell the others. Out."

He scanned the general area, looking through walls and underground carefully. The whole thing was done in about 3 milliseconds to his satisfaction, and he moved on, cursing the busy streets of midday.

Sasuke did the usual scan, twice, and the hard scan three times in the next area, determined to find the impersonator that could so easily slip into the hokage's office…if they were good enough.

There was a subtle shift in the air, and Sasuke launched himself 63 degrees east, moving as if his speed was unlimited (Which it was). "Ino!" A subtle call, and she never looked up from the middle of the circle that the villagers had formed around her. The blonde and a very convincing Sasuke circled each other warily. "Dispel the jutsu!" He appeared in the circle, arms full of weapons. Sakura arrived not a second later, traps set to make sure none of the villagers interfered…Or to make sure Pseudo-Sasuke didn't interfere with the villagers.

"I did," A growl from her, teeth clenched as she secretly moved her hands. "It won't go!" This was new- usually a chuunin or higher could dispel a henge with an ease that rarely came with the job of being a ninja. Sasuke performed the same seals, much faster and with a more advanced twist.

No such luck.

"Sasuke…what kind of chakra…?" A whisper, Ino had the fake pinned down, and he was struggling, cursing to the high heavens in a voice that should only belong to one person.

"No…" He talked softly, masking his voice. "I've no clue." They looked at him in surprise, a big mistake.

She growled as her hands flew off the boys wrist, Sakura stepping in immediately to hold him down. "Ino, get inside his mind," a soft instruction that was almost drowned out be the high-pitched wail coming from their captive.

He grunted, concentrating and easily deflecting the random stones thrown about in a haphazard fashion. "LEMME GO!" A scream before both bodies went limp, and the two remaining ninja retrieved the bodies, hiding them away in a safe place.

---------------------------------Enemy Head---------------------

"Who the hell are you, and what's your purpose for impersonating an ANBU level nin of Konohagakure?" The blonde looked warily about, hands ready to launch herself from his or her mind at a moments notice.

Even though that would cause extensive brain damage to the recipient. Which means she'd kill the enemy. Which was a big ninja no-no in this case.

"Idiot!" There was a voice yelling, slightly panicked and a voice in her head told her to get out. "He'll kill you! Hurry!"

A movement to her right, and she turned, only to be shoved from the left. A laugh, and Shin of all people was standing over her, green eyes glowing with mirth. "Hey, brat, he said to get out, didn't he?" She was on the ground now, thinking 'weapons,' with all she had.

Usually, it worked. "Nakitama-san! Why are you doing this?" A familiarity crept into her voice, and with it, there was fear. "We're friends! What's wrong with you!" She couldn't kill somebody she'd met so recently!

"I'm not this 'Shin'," The green (Yellow? Red? Blue?) eyes watched her curiously, watched her scramble to her feet. "But I suppose I'm called that, right, koukou?" The brunette turned to the distant voice.

Ino attacked, all thumb and pressure points.

The boy stood dumbly before bringing his elbow back, grinning toothily before slamming it into the girls face.

She heard a crack, a yell cursing that old monster, and she was gone…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where the hell am I?" were the first words that greeted her when she woke up. She looked around groggily, wondering the exact same question.

"Shin, what the hell were you doing impersonating Sasuke-kun?" A sharp noise resounded through the room, skin on skin and a hysterical voice.

A small, isolated whimper, Sasuke murmuring in soft tones to the owner of said whimper. Ino sat up, blinking slowly. "I suppose I got the jutsu to release?" Sakura was by her side instantly, and the blonde was grateful for the soothing heat that came with healing chakra.

She hated that technique. It usually left her with a massive headache, and one hell of a blurry visions. She usually didn't remember things, either…

"The old lady's house!" She shot up, yowling painfully when her head slammed into the pink-haired girls, receiving an answer that replicated her own howl of pain. Actually…why were there two screams?

Soon she heard Sasuke making soft 'ssh'ing sounds, which had a calming effect on all in the room. Ino looked patiently on, knees drawn to her chest as she watched the sight before her.

Shin was whimpering, clutching to Sasuke with an almost desperate air to him, eyes red-rimmed and mild twitches shaking his body.

She backed away a little, unsure and paranoid and not quite sure just why.

What could have been an hour passed, his whimpering and the hushes gradually subsided into heavy breathing.

They were silent before Sakura spoke as if not to startle anybody, "Shin…why were you walking around as Sasuke…?" She looked almost afraid of another panic attack, another something happening that Did Not Fit In.

A lot of things weren't fitting, as of late. They needed to tie up lose ends, get back to normal. What was normal in a ninja village anyways?

"I…" His voice wobbled, his eyelids half closed as if fighting sleep. "Um…Christmas is coming up…" He leaned into Sasuke.

Sakura stared at the two suspiciously, trying to quell the feeling that one of her three boys was being lured into a trap. It was harder then she imagined.

"And what's that have to do with Sasuke?" Ino spoke gently, as if coaxing an answer from an apprehensive child. "He gets tons of presents each year, and he only keeps 3." One from Kakashi, one from Sakura, and one from…

"Stop, Ino." A sharp tone and they all glanced at the brunette before turning to the one cuddled in his arms. "I'm sure he's not greedy like that."

Shin shook his head. "I…uh…" The green-eyed boy was starting to get some life back into him, as shone by the slightly scarlet hue on his cheeks. It contrasted with the almost sickly pale he was…but it was better the nothing. "It's almost…Christmas?" He said helplessly, refusing to give up the answer.

Sasuke pushed at the small of his back with his fingers, gently drawing an answer from him. He sighed before visibly sagging. "I wanted to see…who knew Sasuke best…so I could buy his present." He looked up, a desolate air to him. "That's why I asked you two out! I wanted to know. I owe Sasuke for…well, for everything!" He sat up straight, crossing his arms. "I wanted to do it for him," He huffed. "And I got attacked. Brutally."

They say silently for awhile, contemplating the validity of the explanation. They glanced from one to the other, the same question running through their heads.

Why couldn't Sasuke dispel the illusion?

"Well…I see nothing wrong with that…" Ino started hesitantly, lying through her teeth. "Besides the fact you set all the ANBU on edge, that is." She glared mockingly. "Plus you bruised me and Big Forehead over there!"

"Hey!" Sakura played her part flawlessly. "Shut up, Ino-pig! I didn't get bruised because I'm actually a good ninja!" They began bickering, but were interrupted by a loud knocking before Kakashi blew in from the window.

"Yo!" He grinned cheekily. They all directed a glare at him, all frozen in their previous positions.

"Hey! It's the porn-loving teacher!" Shin pointed, laughing. Kakashi…Kakashi twitched violently. Then proceeded to ignore the brunette.

"I have a message from our overly zealous princess!" He pointed at a growing bruise creeping up from under his mask. "And…"

"Would you like me to check it Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura interrupted sweetly, taking a few steps towards him and raising her fingers. "I am a medical nin. I could heal that in a moment."

The gray-haired man seemed to think about this for a moment, taking one hand off the windowsill he was perched on to tap his chin. "Thanks but no thanks, Sakura-chan!" He patted her head merrily, before tumbling onto the rug. They all knew the tumble was a cover-up to get away from Sakura's questing fingers. "I think I look rather rugged, don't you?"

Sakura glared, fingers itching to finally, finally see what was under that mask. "What was the message, Kakashi-san?" She spoke coldly, and he was laughing at the formalities she was taking great cares to use.

"Well, there's a meeting Uchiha-san must attend! It's bolded and underlined, too. So it must be top priority! Ino-chan was asked to attend also!" He waved it around, and blanked out when Sasuke smoothly retrieved it from his grasp. "Sakura-chan, can you watch him, seeing that you are in possession of the…bads," They all groaned at the pun, the switch between 'the goods' because he didn't like Shin.

"…I don't get it." Said goods spoke, frowning.

The Sharingan wielder snorted before disappearing, the Yamanaka girl following closely behind.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"This is the second meeting concerning a certain Shin Nakitama," The blonde women stated, elbows on her desk and fingers woven together. "All regarding strange occurrences and clues to just who he may be. We'll go over the older happenings that are important enough to discuss,"

"First off, the tongue pierce test performed by Hyuuga Neji, which was a pretty standard run through to check if he was a high-level clone. This was followed by sparring to later confirm his suspicions."

"Second, the game of cards. Poker to be precise, and this was also instigated by Hyuuga-san. During the game Hyuuga-san, even with his bloodline limit used to it's full potential, could not see through the cards Nakitama-san held."

"Third, though minor, was the incident at the festival I was informed about. He was seen with murderous intent directed at I, the hokage. It's yet undetermined why."

"Also, Uchiha-san," Tsunade turned to him, regarding him thoughtfully. "It is possible to erase traces of blood. The maximum limit is two minutes, though. And the tattoo on Shin-sans back? It resembles nothing I've seen so far. It's not a village symbol or anything of the sort, so it was probably just a fancy of his old self to get it."

They nodded obediently. "Any new occurrences?"

Sasuke nodded, stepping forward with a fluid motion. "Earlier today, an occurrence that involved Shin, Sakura, Ino, and I brought up reasonable suspicion. When said target used Henge to transform into me, we were unable to dispel it…Which would take an ANBU level to prevent, I'm sure you know." Tsunade scribbled this furiously onto a random piece of paper strewn across her desk. She nodded, and the brunette bowed, stepping back.

Now Neji hesitantly stepped forward, looking at Sasuke with an air of anxiousness. "I regret saying this, for it may sound slightly unprofessional..." They were all at the attention of Neji now, watching him with a hesitant look. "But Shin and I have participated in…"

Sasuke stared at him, fighting the urge to let his basic instincts kick in, to kill something mildly distressing to him.

"We've participated in various acts of sex, most painful and some not so." He said this quietly, teeth almost shut with the effort of trying to keep it quiet. "It was a convenient excuse to press every chakra point on his body…Nothing ab-" There the Hyuuga was, suspended two feet off the ground and looking with dead calm into the spinning wheels. "I'd like to think, Uchiha-san, that you would know that people in a relationships partake in actions of that kind…although you're not doing so well in the friendship department, never mind that kind of relationship…" Hands tightened and the branch member struggled, a small gasp for air falling from his lips.

"Uchiha! Hyuuga!" A sharp bark and Sasuke released him, fists clenching and shoulders tensing with every breath taken into the shaking mans body. Tsunade watched him steadily, eyes following them as they returned to their respective seats. She sighed.

"Continue, Hyuuga-san."

He nodded, hands flitting over his neck and repairing his pressure points with a frightening accuracy. "In all the nights Shin has slept with me," Sasuke flinched, biting his tongue. "He has never, ever slept." They fell silent, contemplating this new development before Tsunade interrupted.

"Anything else worth mentioning?"

They looked at each other, and Ino bowed, pressing forward cautiously. "I have the map written down." And she pushes her arm and it's suddenly there, the whole map on her arms with blood. There was even historical land marks that were on the way, giving very precise detail in small, neat handwriting. "This information was gathered from Shin Nakitama's mind, and it was all very clear. It seems that he's been gathering this information for awhile now, remembering the trail piece by piece."

"Also, the lay-out of his mind has changed…The container for scrolls has expanded, meaning he's learned more jutsu's. There's many windows and doors in his mind…but they're all closed. Which means he's hiding something, but pretends he isn't or doesn't know he is. There's no keys in the room, which suggests that the reasons he's hiding something is because somebody's threatening him too. There's a more detailed report in the copy I've given you…"

The marking disappeared from her arm after the Hokage had copied it down, and she continued making marks, the smooth tack-tack-tack of her pencil hitting paper the only thing audible in the silence.

Hours later, she waved them away, mind brooding and fingers bruised from holding the pencil so hard.

OoOoOoOoOoOo………

'To buy Shin a present,' was Sasuke's main objective.

This 'mission' (so to speak) was brought on by the guilty feelings Sasuke harbored ever since learning of Shins' high risks to get him a present. A petty, glorified holiday, present.

Sure, Sasuke (being the Uchiha prodigy) had received his fair number of gifts each Christmas, but Christ. None of those missions had required god-to-honest caring! The same precision, the same timing, the same eye were all required, but he had not been trained to care!

….Nevertheless, this shopped looked….Shin-y. Not shiny…but Shin-esque. Dammit.

The traitor padded into the shop, teeth set on edge by the customary jingle of the bells above the shops door. He scanned every corner, subconsciously picking out all the spots that would have the best view/attack/defend points. He was startled out of his analysis when a jovial voice called out, "I'll be there in a minute!"

"One minute is enough time to get out of here," Sasuke calculated under his breath, examining a pair of very, VERY sharp kunai (Which, in retrospect, would not be a good gift anyways…) "Hell, one minute is enough time to be at the training grounds and actually training my squad. One minute is enough time to cook…"

"Can I help you?" The old lady asked, pulling slightly curly hair into a bun at the top of her head. She seemed jolly, flushed cheeks and apron giving her the appearance of a cookie-baking grandma.

…He had not just thought that.

"Um…I'm buying a present," The Uchiha said pitifully, keeping his gaze from landing on the women. She could probably sense his inability to shop, would prey on the money he so conveniently possessed.

"And for whom is it? A mother? A friend? A _girl_friend?" She smiled slyly, busying herself with running her hands over merchandise, trying to find _that _perfect gift.

"A boy…" He trailed off, looking at each item she passed her chubby hands over and checking off each with an 'X'.

"A boyfriend?" She smiled, laughing. "How cute! Is he a ninja?" He liked this lady. She had no prejudices, had not prejudged him based on attire. Had not immediately searched for his money, his coin bag that every ANBU carried around as a bargaining chip.

He really, really hated this women. She was too _trusting._

The Uchiha touched the mask hanging at his side subconsciously, fingering the patterns in an effort to quell the anger that would so suddenly jump up.

He felt the women freeze, and he was immediately on guard, a needle slipping between his fingers.

"ANBU Snake?" She spoke quietly, the warm, inviting tones in her voice replaced with cold, calculating ones. "Are you him?"

He nodded, trying to interpret her feelings now that she was an entirely different person. "What of it?" His fingers twitched, mind replaying the rule '_Do not kill civilians. Do not kill civilians.'_

"You killed my sons. My twin boys." Her voice was hurt now, a venomous tongue equipped. "When you were in the Asylum. One of them was crouching in the top left corner, the other was covering the door. You killed both of them in cold blood to _amuse_ yourself." Her eyes _glared,_ were the epitome of _pained love._ "Or so I've heard."

"That's classified information." He replied, tilting his head. He was nervous, insides shaking at being actually confronted with the results of his actions. His results were usually buried 6-feet under, forgotten but never gone.

"I refuse to sell anything to you," She stated quietly. "Please leave the building and never come back, Anbu-San."

He left, mask in place and eyebrows twitching as he heard the sound of muffled sobs.

OoOoOoOoOoOo……….

"What's your plans for christmas?" Sasuke asked, flipping the pages of his book lazily as he watched Shin cook. It was three days before the much-anticipated day, and for once, Sasuke hadn't wanted to spend it alone. Not that he wanted Shin to know that. Hell, he didn't even think so. He always spent Christmas alone.

He returned to his book, head running in circles as he waited for the other boys reply.

"I was thinking," The green-eyed boy said, expertly flipping a pancake into the air and catching it. "That I could spend the first part of the day, up till 6 with you, and then spend the night with Neji." He dumped the pancake onto a plate, depositing it in front of Sasuke who hungrily dug in. Damn Shin and his regular eating and sleeping patterns.

"Oi! Sasuke!" He looked up from his daze, fork half-way to his mouth and dripping syrup. He set the fork down, feeling utterly foolish. "I asked if that was o.k. with you?"

He nodded dumbly, giving his consent. "Of course." He shoved another piece into his mouth, trying not to think, 'Open mouth, insert foot'.

Shin sat down across from him, propping his head up on his hand as he watched him eat. They sat in silence for the rest of the meal, enjoying the rare peace that enveloped the village.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO…..

_'Gotta find a present. Gotta find a present. Gotta find a present.'_ Was Sasuke's mantra, the phrase on the loop setting as it ran through his head. Christmas eve had snuck up way to fast and ever since the incident at the old ladies shop, he'd lost the will to go out.

But now…Now Sasuke's procrastination had held him back, had caused him to completely forget to buy a present for the one person he was spending Christmas with. Dammit! 11:30 at night on Christmas eve and everything but the convenience store was closed, locked down for the next few days! Why oh why did he wait? Shit!

Onyx eyes scanned the surface of each darkened window he passed, repeating 'no' to each item that he'd fixed his gaze on. Shit!

Just when the Uchiha had almost given up hope, something caught his eye. He stared in amazement at the perfect simplicity of the gift, how undeniably _right_ this thing would be for his-

He smiled guiltily, performing the seals and pushing his fingers through the glass. He left the appropriate amount of money. Hey, at least he'd paid them…Now there was just one stop and he'd be done…

OoOoOoOoOoOo………..

"Hey! Sasuke!" A whisper and he stirred, didn't realize his hands had motionlessly fingered his shuriken in the total darkness. He steadied his breathing to that beyond sleep before he fully awoke, eyes softly shut. "Get up! It's Christmas!"

He relaxed, sighing and opening his eyes to stare straight into wide green ones. He pushed Shin's head away with an index finger to the forehead (ignoring the whines and curses) as he stared at his alarm clock.

6:41am.

The numbers flashed in his mind.

6:41am. On his day off.

"Dammit Shin!" He scowled, bobbing the boy on the head and flipping over. "Only children get up this early on Christmas! Are you an idiot!" He felt like pulling the blankets over his head, whining '_No, Mom, a couple more minutes…'_

He sat up, staring blearily at the pouting boy. "You…I'm not very happy with you right now." Sasuke stared accusingly at the pouting boy, who then stood up, offering a hand to him. He batted it away, getting up and stretching. "Breakfast?"

Shin nodded, a grin playing over his pretty features. "Already made! Bacon and eggs! Bacon and eggs!" He darted out across the hall, singing the on-the-spot song all the way to the kitchen. The Uchiha sighed, following him and rubbing his cheeks to rub the redness from them. He yawned, padding into the kitchen where everything was already set, ready to be eaten by a nearly awake teen. He took his time, listening to the other boys incomprehensible babblings in between bites of food.

"Hey. Shin." The boy immediately stopped, starring at the other boy with interest. "Let's go open presents now. It's 7:30." There was a happy nod before he dashed into the living room, the anticipation nearly palpable in the room.

"…I'll give you your present first." The genius said, hands reaching for the present under the palm tree that Shin had so generously decorated due to the lack of actual Christmas tree. "It's been a long time since I…" He was fumbling for his words, leaning back into the couch that him and Shin were sharing. "Since I spent Christmas with anyone…So…yeah." He finished lamely, handing the plainly white-wrapped gift over to Shin.

The boy tore it open, not even attempting to save the paper in which the Uchiha had wrapped it in, instead heading straight for the gold. He stared at the book and camera in his lap, pleased but slightly confused. "…the book doesn't even have an author."

Sasuke sighed, blushing hotly and _so_ not used to this being sincere business. "Look…in the book. Idiot." He threw the insult in as a last resort, trying to sound like his usual self.

Shin obediently complied, opening the expensive leather-bound cover to reveal smooth, aged pages with a thin film covering them.

But that wasn't what caught Shins eye. Oh…Pink lips curved into a smile at a young Sasuke, then a teenage Sasuke, then a Sasuke with his team, the blonde haired boy and pink haired girl grinning stupidly as they made the peace sign of the camera. He read the caption, delighted.

'_These are my memories so far. Let's make some more. Love, Sasuke.'_

He handled the camera fondly, depositing it into his side pocket and choosing to keep the book in his lap. This gift made him happy, made him ecstatic that Sasuke had wanted to share memories with him when he had so very few of his own. Memories were, and always would be an elusive part of Shins life….but for now…for now he could…

He smiled coyly at the other boy, the morning stillness broken only by the song of birds. "Love, Sasuke? Love me Sasuke?" There was a soft smile now and he leaned his head on his shoulders, grinning wildly.

"Gimme my present," Sasuke mumbled. The magic of Christmas was getting to him. That must be why he was blushing so much, hating the lack of Christmas tree and warm fireplace.

Shin happily complied, reaching under the coach for his hidden present. "Close your eyes!" Sasuke did as he was told, shivering at the sound of the order and the dislike of having his eyes closed. The dislike, though, was overrun by the curiosity consuming him and he felt something now. Something soft and plush and incredibly shaped, it felt just like a…

His eyes snapped open, realization dawning on his features as his fingers traced the doll-like replica of his previous best friend, nails running over the stitches that made the scars on the dolls cheeks.

He bit his lip, reveling in the feeling of forgotten thoughts and feelings that usually only came once a year. "Remember this?" A small, happy voice broke through his thoughts, and he looked up, into a set of beautifully green eyes. "It was my first possession! And he looks like the person in the picture, right? So I thought you might like it!" Doubt was starting to cloud the boys voice, his features. "If you don't I guess I can take you out somewhere, but I have to get money first, but I guess…"

It was cut off as arms enveloped him, black eyes closed and a calm radiating from his every muscle. The startled boy held questioning hands at Sasuke's lower back, working their way nervously across the hem of his shirt.

"Shin, I think I lo-" There was a faint sounding of bells as the streets exploding into a parade, people rushing out of their houses and the wishing of a 'Merry Christmas!' ringing through the air. Said boy grinned, hugging Sasuke back and whooping.

"Let's go out Sasuke! We can go buy shaved ice!" Once he'd loosened his grip, the excited boy had jumped, running towards the door in an effort to dress for the cold weather while running.

He smiled fondly, glad that his almost-confession/mistake had been interrupted. "Idiot, in this weather…"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo……………

"WOW!" He exclaimed upon entering the main building of the Uchiha estate, stamping his boots and kicking them off as he ran into it. "Amazing! I loved it! I can't believe it's already 5:30pm!"

Sasuke followed, much more calmly and with a lot less fan fare as he neatly deposited his boots in the closet, hanging his coat and picking up after the frenzied teen. "It was fun." He allowed that admittance, an agreement.

Shin grinned, turning around and squarely facing Sasuke. "But you have to admit, I totally won that wrestling match!" He thought back to when the idiot had thrown a snowball, and surprisingly, it had hit him. He'd gone into feral who-dares-hit-a-Uchiha ANBU mode and had attacked Shin. He'd _let up_ when he'd realized who he was attacking, but the other boy had claimed that he'd won fair and square! Pfft, as if, nobody won against him.

"Did not!" He felt foolish for engaging in such a simple game of whodunnit, but for gods sake, he was not going to lose! "You did!"

"Nuh uh!" There was a wild grin on that tan face, seemingly splitting it into two parts. "I won! I topped you!" They ignored the double entendre, favoring for the heated argument. Similar insults followed before black eyes flashed, and he growled.

"Wanna test it out?" He snarled, launching himself at the younger boy. They scuffled, breaking furniture (oops), pictures (damn) and putting a hole through the wall (double damn!). The brawl lasted for what could have been minutes, but the end result lie in a pile of dust and debris.

When the dust settled, black eyes stared up into green, chest heaving and pupils dilated. The taller boy was grinning happily, panting as he had Sasuke's wrists pinned to the floor and straddled his waist. Their legs were tangled so…Nope. Sasuke could not kick him off. He knew some nifty jutsus but…

But…

He didn't want to move. It was an oddly peaceful scene, both catching their breath and Sasuke was warm for once, felt exhilaration in a form that was not blood or turmoil. He relaxed, letting Shin pin him and not caring when the other boy loosened his grip, instead turning to lay his head against Sasuke's chest, listening to his heartbeat in the still silence.

"I win." He said, breaking the surreal ness.

"You always do." The other form replied, holding his breath.

"Sasuke?"

"Mm?"

"Do you love me?" All breathing stopped and Sasuke stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, suddenly tense and fingers were curling into his fist, leaving half-moons in the skin as he thought of what to say.

"To lose you…" He was starting truthfully (this time he would not end in a lie.) "…is to never love again."

He felt the curve of lips against the cloth on his chest, the relieved sigh that no, Sasuke hadn't changed, nothing really had. The answer was not direct but was it not enough? Could he not settle for that?

"I have Neji…" Shin started quietly, stalling in the speech that was about to come, something about forbidden love and death. "But…"

The brunette waited with bated breath for the inevitable chiding, the fear that wasn't genuine sat like a boulder in his chest. So when Shin sat up, he closed his eyes, prepared for the other boy to get up and run for the safety of somebody who was only mildly insane's arms. He was waiting for him to leave when…

"Can I kiss you?" The question hung in silence and Sasukes eyes were still closed and somehow he nodded _Yes,_ he'd said without speaking _Kiss me._

So he felt a hand pressed over his lips and could feel the others breath on his waiting lips before they _touched._ It was soft, and a pale imitation to that drunken night many weeks before. But it was _better,_ it _excelled,_ and Sasuke could not compare this to anything he'd ever had. Could not compare it to that one time he'd kissed Sakura just to see what the fuss was about. Could not compare to that one time that…

It was a simple, sweet exchange, just a small pressure against his lips and both their breaths mingled, neither heart speeding up to much or slowing down. It was not a moment, it was not a memory, it was just a happening, something he very much appreciated. When they parted, it was because Shin had stood up and left a closed-eye Sasuke lying on the floor, breathing softly and not looking up as Shin got his coat on.

The door shut behind him and he didn't know if that was good or bad. He opened his eyes, tilting his head and looking at the digital alarm clock sitting on the floor from their fight.

6:41pm.

He smiled.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OMFG. DONE. AFTER ALMOST A YEAR I AM DONE. OMFG. CELEBRATION.

Jesus H. Christ, I'll make this short because you guys are already sick of my excuses! THANK GOD I'M DONE.

Anyways, can anyone say 'almost climax'? It isn't the climax, but it's a very important point in the story. Sasuke has nearly confessed! Whoot. Shin is now associated with Naruto officially in his heart. Yay!

But I'll leave now. I won't even ask for reviews because it's been so long. But…It's 6,401 words XD A long enough chapter?

Thanks for reading guys!


	14. Apology

Hello everyone!

I know that you may be thinking 'Oh God, She updated!" or…not reading this at all (which is redundant…) but I might was well tell you straight out and not beat around the bush. Ack. My hands are shaking.

Well, the point is that I think I'm discontinuing _Bunraku_ because I can't even begin to continue this. Bunraku was my pet project for the first couple chapters before I went back to read it and realized how many plot holes and what-the-yuck's were happening in this fic. I loved it and I realize that some others may have loved it too. It's just that I'm dreading continuing this every time I come to my computer and I don't think you should be writing if it becomes a job.

So what I'm trying to say is I'm done because I don't enjoy writing it anymore. I may write other fics in the future but the fact that I can't finish this fic is a huge blow to my pride guys, so I'd rather not hear "OMG YOU BITCH CONTINUE OR DIE" comments like I've heard in the past concerning my updates (or lack thereof). That's not the only reason I feel like discontinuing; the lack of support from others (yes, I am that kind of author) and the utter disdain from some reviewers have made me shrink from my first attempt at a story more than 1,000 words long. It was good while it lasted.

Congrats to me guys. Bunraku was a total of around 60,000 words for 12 chapters. I'm proud for getting this far and getting that much support and my hands are shaking and I'm _so sorry_ for doing all this to you guys who actually liked my fic and my writing and the very few who liked my characters. I'm not bringing the fic down- that's deleting a bunch of good reviews and constructive criticism. I don't blame the flamers or the people who didn't review, I blame myself.

I'm sorry again for not being a mature enough author to deal with it, or being good enough to go with it to the end. I just couldn't. Thanks for being here until this point, those who are reading this.

Goodbye guys. Maybe I'll continue it one day. Or rewrite the whole damn thing. Thanks.

-Naki-san


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